Morning Habit Near Chicken Coops May Attract Asian Hornets
Listen to the story
People who keep chickens often have a simple morning habit: opening the coop and giving the hens food and water. Experts now warn that this common habit could attract Asian hornets to the area.
Asian hornets are large insects that originally came from Asia. In Europe, they are considered an invasive species, meaning they are not native and can harm local wildlife, including pollinators like bees.
According to reports, the food and water left near chicken coops in the morning can attract these hornets. This puts hens and their eggs at risk, since hornets may be drawn close to the coop area.
To fight the growing hornet population, an exceptional trapping campaign has been launched. This involves setting up special traps designed to catch Asian hornets before they can multiply and spread further.
In addition to trapping, experts are using small tracking devices, sometimes called beacons, which are attached to individual hornets. By following the signal from a beacon, researchers can trace the hornet's flight path back to its nest.
Finding and destroying these nests is seen as one of the most effective ways to control the hornet population. Each nest can contain many hornets, so removing it early can prevent further spread.
Officials hope that combining trapping campaigns with beacon tracking will help protect both chicken farms and the wider environment, since Asian hornets are known to threaten bees and other beneficial insects.
Vocabulary9 words
- coop
- a small building where chickens live
- Asian hornets
- large flying insects originally from Asia
- invasive species
- an animal or plant from another place that harms local nature
- pollinators
- insects that help plants grow by moving pollen
- trapping
- the act of catching animals using special tools
- traps
- devices used to catch animals
- tracking devices
- small tools that show the location of something
- beacons
- small devices that send a signal to show location
- nest
- a structure insects build to live in
Quiz
Answer key
1. Feeding and watering hens 2. They are an invasive species that harms wildlife 3. They help track hornets back to their nests
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
People who keep chickens often have a simple morning habit: opening the coop and giving the hens food and _____.
Experts now warn that this common habit could attract Asian _____ to the area.
In Europe, they are considered an invasive _____, meaning they are not native and can harm local wildlife.
According to reports, the food and water left near chicken coops in the morning can _____ these hornets.
To fight the growing hornet population, an exceptional _____ campaign has been launched.
This involves setting up special traps designed to _____ Asian hornets before they multiply.
Experts are using small tracking devices, sometimes called _____, which are attached to individual hornets.
By following the signal from a beacon, researchers can trace the hornet's flight path back to its _____.
Finding and destroying these nests is seen as one of the most effective ways to control the hornet _____.