Beekeepers Wage High-Tech War Against Invasive Asian Hornets

In Alsace, France, beekeepers are engaged in a high-tech battle against the invasive Asian hornet, a predatory insect that has seen a dramatic increase in numbers over the past two years. Armed with thermal-imaging binoculars and transmitters, these apiarists are taking a forensic approach to tracking down and destroying the hornets' nests.

The Asian hornet first arrived in France in 2004 and has since become firmly entrenched in the Haut-Rhin region, where the number of reported nests has skyrocketed from 15-20 in 2023 to an estimated 400 this year. This surge has had a devastating impact on local bee populations, with many hives attacked or decimated.

For beekeepers like Mathieu Diffort, who runs around 100 hives in the rural Sundgau area, nest-hunting has become an essential part of the job. Diffort and his business partner, Philippe Sieffert, spend much of their season painstakingly locating and destroying hornet nests, using a range of high-tech methods to track the insects' movements.

The challenge is a costly and time-consuming one, with Diffort feeling "a little lonely" in his efforts and calling for more funding and research to address the issue. The future of beekeeping and biodiversity in the region is at stake, as the Asian hornet poses a threat not only to honey production but also to the vital role bees play in pollination and food security.