Unwanted Intruders: The Battle Against Invasive Species | DW Documentary

Why It Matters

Invasive species like the Asian hornet jeopardize pollinator health and crop productivity, imposing billions in losses; early, tech‑enhanced detection is vital to safeguard Europe’s food security and biodiversity.

Key Takeaways

• Asian hornet nests expand rapidly, threatening bees and agriculture.
• Trained detection dogs locate hidden invasive plants and insects.
• Professional hunters use insecticide and shaving cream to seal nests.
• Telemetry tags on hornets help map colony spread but are costly.
• EU lists 114 invasive species; early detection crucial to limit €400bn damage.

Summary

The DW documentary examines Germany’s fight against invasive species, centering on the Asian hornet, a predatory wasp that decimates honeybees, and on innovative detection methods such as specialist hunters and scent‑training dogs.

Experts note that a single primary nest can spawn dozens of secondary colonies, with expansion rates of up to 80 km per year and nest counts jumping from 17 in 2022 to over 420 in 2023 in some regions. Hornets can consume up to 1,500 bees daily, and a full colony may produce 15,000 insects annually, driving severe ecological and economic losses.

Professional hornet hunter Tomas Bicil demonstrates field techniques—sealing entrances with shaving cream, applying insecticide, and tagging queens with €200 telemetry transmitters—to locate and eradicate nests. Meanwhile, biologists like Anagrit Grim‑Säfar train detection dogs to sniff out hidden invaders such as Japanese knotweed and Japanese beetle larvae, achieving faster, species‑specific results than conventional surveys.

The surge in invasive populations underscores a €400 billion global cost and threatens pollination, fruit yields, and native biodiversity. Coordinated efforts—volunteer reporting, dog‑assisted surveys, and high‑tech tracking—are essential for early containment, informing policy and protecting Europe’s agricultural and ecological resilience.

Original Description

Invasive species threaten flora and fauna and can destroy ecological balance. However, combating these dangerous invaders is costly and requires unusual measures.

The EU list of invasive species includes 42 animal and 46 plant species. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has identified these unwanted intruders as one of six "climate killers," because they can throw entire ecosystems out of balance. According to research reports, invasive species cause around €400 billion worth of damage worldwide every year - from crop losses and the decline of native species to expensive control measures.

For Thomas Beissel, the fight against the Asian hornet has become almost a full-time job. A few years ago, the computer specialist switched to beekeeping and discovered his fascination with hornets. While the native giant wasp is strictly protected, its Asian sister presents a rapidly-spreading threat. This is because honeybees are one of the hornets' main prey. Thomas Beissel is one of five full-time hornet hunters. He tries to combat the intruder using various methods. However, the predatory insects build their nests high up in trees, well hidden from prying eyes. Beissel therefore uses tiny GPS transmitters attached to captured hornets to locate the main nest.

Annegret Grimm-Seyfarth and her colleagues rely on the unique abilities of sniffer dogs. The use of dogs in species conservation is a relatively new field of activity. The biologist trains her four-legged sniffer dogs to track down invasive species such as the American mink, or exotic plants like Japanese knotweed and ragweed. In Switzerland, canines are now successfully used to find Japanese beetle larvae, an invasive beetle that can cause damage to vineyards and other crops in affected regions.

#documentary #dwdocumentary #dwdocs

______

DW Documentary gives you knowledge beyond the headlines. Watch top documentaries from German broadcasters and international production companies. Meet intriguing people, travel to distant lands, get a look behind the complexities of daily life and build a deeper understanding of current affairs and global events. Subscribe and explore the world around you with DW Documentary.

Subscribe to: ‬

⮞ DW Documentary (English): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocumentary

⮞ DW Documental (Spanish): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDocumental

⮞ DW Documentary وثائقية دي دبليو (Arabic): https://www.youtube.com/@dwdocarabia

⮞ DW Documentary हिन्दी (Hindi): https://www.youtube.com/@dwdochindi

⮞ DW Dokumenter (Indonesian): https://www.youtube.com/@DWDokumenter

⮞ DW Doku (German): https://www.youtube.com/@dwdoku

For more visit: http://www.dw.com/en/tv/docfilm/s-3610

Follow DW Documentary on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dwdocumentary/

Follow DW Documental on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dwdocumental

We kindly ask viewers to read and stick to the DW netiquette policy on our channel: https://p.dw.com/p/MF1G