Asian hornets killing off honeybees in Europe, say MEPs

Voracious predators' threaten honey production and pose risk to biodiversity, says Salvatore De Meo

Italian MEPs are calling on the European Commission to crack down on Asian hornets, which are spreading across some EU countries and killing off bees.

The yellow-legged hornets, native to south-east Asia, were first identified on the continent two decades ago, arriving in France before spreading to Spain, Belgium, Holland, Portugal and Italy, where after first appearing in 2012 they are causing havoc in the country's northern regions.