Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Independent TV

Showing now | News

Huge killer Asian hornets nearly wipe out beekeeper’s business after tearing through hives

00:36

Huge killer Asian hornets nearly wipe out beekeeper’s business after tearing through hives

Huge killer Asian hornets have nearly wiped out a beekeeper’s business after tearing through his hives.

The giant insects that can devour more than 60 bees a day, have killed thousands of bees at Peter Down’s apiary in Kent.

Out of 20 hives, only four or five remain and those bees are so stressed that they cannot produce any honey and will likely die off in the winter.

It comes as 42 nests have been found in the UK this season, dwarfing figures for previous years.

Peter is calling on the government to do more to tackle the outbreak, which experts warn could ultimately threaten the nation’s food supply.

Up next

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in