HEALTHPLAN MAGAZINE

Ecologists in Spain have warned of a new deadly threat which has been spreading rapidly across the country.

The invasive species which is the Asian hornet is a threat to both humans and animals alike.

The hornet, often referred to as the ‘killer wasp’, arrived in Spain 11 years ago and experts fear that it is spreading across the country at ‘an unstoppable rate’.

Back in 2019 alone, seven people were killed by the sting of the wasp after it was claimed that they had ventured too close to the defensive insect's nest.

In 2020, even when Spanish citizens were under lockdown due to the Coronavirus, three people still lost their lives after being stung.

It has been estimated that the Asian hornet is responsible for 90 per cent of all wasp stings and that roughly three per cent of people are allergic to its venomous sting.

The annual mortality rate is three to four people each year, which equates to 0.08 people per one million residents.

According to the experts from Avispaasiatic.org, who monitor the presence of this insect in Spain, they predict that the ‘killer wasp’ will be widespread by 2029 and that the entire country will have been taken over by the pest by the end of this decade.

It is believed that only the Canary Islands will go untouched.

Last year the Balearic Islands declared that they had eradicated the ‘killer wasp’ from its shores, the first to do so in Europe. However, the Avispasiatica experts say they may have spoken too soon. They have recommended that the Islands proceed with caution, as many communities have once before made the mistake of believing that the species was under control, for it only to resurface with dire consequences.

Currently, on the mainland of Spain, the Asian hornet is spreading through the country from the north to the south, at a rate of 100km per year.

There are several biological control investigations underway to eradicate the deadly insect, but as yet there is no conclusive solution.

Not only is the wasp a threat to humans and animals, it also poses a threat to bees. A much-needed species that is already in decline thanks to the change in the climate and the surplus use of pesticides.

According to The Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (CREAF), the Asian hornet is more than capable of demolishing entire beehives all in one move, with one wasp being able to destroy up to 50 bees per day. It is said that the wasps dissect the bee and then feed the pieces to their larvae, before eating the honey.

Source

https://www.express.co.uk/travel/articles/1513104/spain-tourist-warning-deadly-killer-wasp-costa-del-sol-latest
https://spanishnewstoday.com/the_rise_of_the_killer_wasp_in_spain_1672676-a.html