The UK is testing micro-transmitters strapped to Asian hornets, helping teams trace their movements and locate destructive nests more quickly.
Asian hornets have cultivated a fearsome reputation as voracious predators, and they are deemed particularly destructive for bees and other insect pollinators. Even though they are not generally harmful to humans, some experts classify them as an apex predator of insects, and their nests are often destroyed as a last-ditch effort to save the local biodiversity. Habitat destruction and seasonal trapping are the most common methods to mitigate the risks posed by these hornets. However, tracking the nests of these hornets is a pretty labor-intensive task, and it can take a long time for experts to bait and track the nest. The U.K., in particular, is going through a worrisome phase where Asian hornet sightings have reached a record level.
To combat the risks, the National Bee Unit recently began experimenting with a rather novel solution: a micro-transmitter that is fitted on the bees to track their flight route and eventually find the nests. These tiny tracking devices, which feature short antennas, weigh less than 160 milligrams, a deliberate design choice to ensure that the hornets can comfortably fly with these micro-transmitters strapped to their bodies.
