Hornet army plotting invasion of UK
An army of deadly Chinese hornets is heading north through France towards Britain after attempts to trap and poison them failed. 
By Ian Johnston
Published: 10:59AM BST 26 Sep 2009 The hornets, Vespa velutina, are thought to have arrived in Bordeaux on a container ship from China in 2004 and have been rapidly expanding their population and territory ever since. They are blamed for slaughtering nearly a third of the bees in the Gironde department and there were also reports of summer swarms attacking a mother and baby, then chasing cyclists and other passersby in an incident in Lot-et-Garonne. Now the hornets have been seen near Paris and experts are warning that they could cross the Channel to the south coast of England. … Raymond Saunier, president of the bee-keeping union in Gironde, spelt out the effect of the hornets’ arrival. “We have literally been invaded. It’s really a disaster,” he said. “In the past two to four years, we have lost 30% of our hives. “All it takes is two or three hornets near your hive and you’ve had it.” He warned the hornets’ devastation of bee colonies would have a serious impact on the important role played by bees in pollinating food crops. …
