The Asian hornet invasion is continuing around the world. In Europe, beekeepers have found a novel solution to the marauding wasps: electric harps.
As Reasons to Be Cheerful detailed, the invasive species could cause the collapse of almost one-third of France’s bee colonies each year. That’s because one hornet can kill 30 European honeybees per day.
In China, bees and other prey have “evolved strategies” to survive the onslaught, but in other places, including the United Kingdom and United States, native species have no such defenses. This puts honey production and even whole ecosystems at risk, per Reasons to Be Cheerful.
Various efforts to slow down the hornets have proved unsuccessful. In 2015, however, 11 years after the hornets were first spied in France, one beekeeper wrote a blog post about electric harps.
Retiree and beekeeper Michel Costa found out about the hardware years later — and soon watched hundreds of hornets die within minutes.
“The demonstration of its effectiveness was staggering,” he said.
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The frames of the harps hold metal wires spaced two centimeters apart that conduct positive and negative charges. When a hornet’s wings contact the wires, they complete a circuit, killing the bugs as they fly through. Beekeepers deploy the devices in the flight paths of the hornets, all per Reasons to Be Cheerful.
Studies have shown the harps “reduce predation pressure” by up to 89% and that 78% of protected hives survive winter, while only 56% of unprotected hives do. They are also accurate, with 91% of insects killed by the harps Asian hornets and only 1% domesticated honeybees.
The harps cost about $300, but Costa and entomologist Denis Thiéry have developed a DIY model that cuts the price nearly in half.
At home, you can help support honeybees with native plants or a natural lawn. And since the pollinators are essential to our food supply, accounting for one in three bites of food worldwide, you’ll also be ensuring a sustainable future.
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