Hornet project is food for thought

Hornet project is food for thought

Alastair Christie, the Island’s Asian hornet co-ordinator, said he had been working all summer with a group of experts from Exeter University on a project aimed at better understanding the damage the hornets cause by examining what they eat.

Approximately 20 larvae samples, along with 20 worker hornets of varying sizes and ages, have so far been sent to the university for examination.

Mr Christie went on to explain why much of the answer of the damage caused by hornets lay within the guts of the larvae.

‘Asian hornets themselves only feed on liquids, as their waists are too small to eat solids,’ he said. ‘But by examining larvae, we will get an idea of the species which they kill to feed their young.

‘Much of the reason we are doing this is to be able to properly quantify the damage being done.

‘Many people come up to me asking, “What damage exactly are these hornets doing?”, which up until now we have not been able to answer.’

Once Exeter University dissect and analyse the DNA of the larvae’s guts, Mr Christie said this would give him a good idea of the diversity of their prey.

The investigation is part of a wider EU-funded project, costing a total of two million euros, which is spread across academic institutions throughout European countries which have been invaded by the species.

Mr Christie said the full impact which Brexit would have on the funding was not yet known.

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