Chloé Lagadou, edited by Laura Laplaud 08:13, August 23, 2022
On Sunday, two cyclists were attacked by hornets in the Loire during a mountain bike outing.
The two men, who each suffered around fifty stings, were hospitalized in absolute urgency.
In France, several tens of thousands of nests have been identified.
If the Asian hornet is a threat to humans, it is also a threat to biodiversity.
Two cyclists were violently attacked by hornets on Sunday after cycling near their nest.
The two men were stung about fifty times each, and were hospitalized in absolute emergency.
Now out of danger, their misadventure calls for caution.
Especially since France is experiencing an invasion of Asian hornets.
Several tens of thousands of nests have been recorded and it is not only for humans that this insect is a threat.
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- Fifty bites for two cyclists attacked by hornets, a phenomenon that remains rare
A harmful presence for biodiversity
Its recent presence on French territory is also harmful for biodiversity, as explained by Éric Darrouzet, teacher-researcher and specialist in sociable insects at the University of Tours.
"The hornet is a predator. That is to say, the workers of a colony will hunt many insects to feed the larvae that are developing in their colony."
11 kilos of insects for a colony of Asian hornets
"It may seem trivial when you say that, but afterwards, it all depends on the quantity of insects that will hunt. I'll give you an example: there is a small study by my colleagues who tried to estimate the ecological impact of a colony of hornets. On a colony of Asian hornets over the year, they calculated that it could take 11 kilos of insects. It's just an estimate", he specifies.
"I think we are below reality. I did a calculation with the Manche department over the past few years. If we take an average figure of 5,000 colonies in this single department, that represents more than 60 tonnes. of insects captured and destroyed. So indeed, it really has an impact on global biodiversity", he concludes.