ASIAN HORNET ALERT.

[Nealh]

As some of you know, as well as a pedelecer I am also an amateur/hobby beekeeper.

Currently our honey bees and almost every other living insect are about to become severely threatened following several incursions of the veracious Asian hornet (common name) or Vespa velutina (latin name), to date the UK Government National beekeeping unit of FERA have successfully contained and destroyed the half dozen siting's so far in the west country and a new siting confirmed along the South Coast in the last couple of days.

Once this veracious insect gets a proper hold in numbers with in our Island then Honeybee colony predation will be very high and at least 40% of managed colonies will come to grief.

Please if any one see's any unusual large dark wasp's of approx. 22mm - 25mm long to report the siting along with if possible a picture or dead specimen to this email address below
mailto:alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk

Pics of AH/V.v

Stand out features are amber/orange face, yellow leg ends and last segment of the abdomen other wise it is dark in colour.

Link to web site and info on said Hornet, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH OUR NATIVE EUROPEAN BROWN/YELLOW HORNET WHICH IS LARGER AND OF LITTLE OR OF NO DANGER TO BEES.

http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?sectionid=117

A full size nest can produce approx. up to 9k individuals p.a and each individual capable of killing 25 - 35 insects a day, these nests during late summer can be huge and in France specimens of approx. 90cm/900mm dia have been found.

 

[anotherkiwi]

When fishing we often have competitions on who can kill the most, they are carnivorous so attracted by the bait box.

Do not miss your kill! They are evil bar stewards and will attack you if you annoy them.

 

[Nealh]

Mostly they are quite docile away from the nest which typically is high up in the canopy however they may also construct nests in hedges or outbuildings, they are very defensive of nests and will see off anything within 5 - 10m range. They will attack in numbers if threatened and stings are potent and can penetrate up to 6mm material thickness, special thick suits are needed to deal with nest sites and anyone who is stung it is an instant 999 call for a paramedic as one sting is enough to kill if you develop anaphylaxis's, not wanting to scare folks but death can occur with in 30 minutes of a sting if untreated.

In France their population spread has been epic since their arrival in the south during 2004/05 now they have colonised the pay-de Calais region and are knocking at our door and queens are now looking for newer areas to populate due to saturation of nests, once they get a proper foot hold problems will start to occur as the UK land size is small and compact compared to the vast open French country side.

 

[grldtnr]

I generally leave wasps' alone ,when you wave them away ,it only attract them more.
But these Asian Hornets seem nasty brutes, how best to dissuade them, what do you need to kill to send the corpse into be identified.?

 

[Nealh]

I use a popular diy trap ( made from 2ltr water bottle) for monitoring, currently monitoring and capture for official identification is the current method used.
Though normal wasp traps can be used, placement is about head height in the sun. Best to place the trap if one is caught into the freezer over night to preserve it or use of a electric charged zapper style tennis rack to stun them and place in a container to be frozen. Waving about trying to swot them may prove dangerous if you miss.

Sweet liquid bait is used for spring trapping as energy is what is needed as it is in short supply earl in the year, Spring Feb onwards is the only chance of trapping foundress queens before they start a nest in earnest. Mid August onwards mashed prawns/fish or cat food is needed as the foragers are in to carnivor mode to feed new sexuals for release in late Sept in to October.

Once identified current method is tracing back to the nest by means of setting traps around an apiary with in about 1km and then slowly decreasing the circle to triangulate their bearing to trace nest locations for destruction.

Once they get a foothold then destruction will be harder as government bodies like FERA have only a certain budget to play with and it takes time and manpower to track and trace, currently they seem not to want beekeepers or any one else involved in tracking or tracing because of the danger involved.

Simple trap diy.
FERA vid on youtube, the guys ramble on a bit.

 

[Nealh]

Mesh for the trap base can be made from Ali car repair mesh, it's use is to prevent drowning of native insects that may get caught. They can be simply released preventing collateral damage, the idea at present is not to make a out and out killing trap but to sustain life and trapping.

 

[Nealh]

But these Asian Hornets seem nasty brutes, how best to dissuade them, what do you need to kill to send the corpse into be identified.?

You can't dissuade them they are prolific killers of all flying insects, once they become established then a simple drowning killing large wasp trap is one of the only means. Nests are usually fairly localised.

A guy in Portugal has devised a method of killing out the nest with the help of pesticide and the hornet as the carrier.
He stuns about 10 hornets with his zapper and then dobs a sticky sweet mixture laced with Fipronil on to the hornets thorax, then leaves them to recover ( approx. 10-15 secs) to fly straight back home where the house mates dutifully distribute the potion around the nest to others and the queen, affect of the Fipronil takes about 2 - 4 hrs to kill occupant's once they have ingested substance.

 

[EddiePJ]

I actually saw or rather believe that I saw an Asian Hornet last week.

There are plenty of hornets where I work, and I often watch them pretty much pounce onto the back of a wasp and then cart it away.

I also watch wasps sadly do the same with the bees that nest in our house wall. Their approach is harsher though, as the wasp decapitates the bee, then takes the head away.

Back onto the Asian Hornet, there was one on a Wisteria bush, and I quickly shot off to get the camera in order to get proper identification, but it annoyingly left before I could get the photo. I have noticed that the decaying pears is attracting hornets, so who knows, it might well return.

 

[Nealh]

Asian hornets take prey on the wing decapitating it and removing the wings legs to cart away the thorax & abdomen.

The two hornets are different in size & markings, I hope in your case you are wrong Eddie and you have identified it incorrectly. However I know you are observant & have a keen eye.

This is a scary one Giant (Japanese) Asian hornet 3" wing span, good job their not here.


Asian hornet. Amber & dark 20 - 25mm


European hornet. Yellow & brown. 30 - 35mm.

 

[EddiePJ]

Thankfully not that size.

I generally see two types of hornet where I work, both with the same colouring as you have shown with the European hornet, but differing in size, one type approx 30-35mm and the second about 10mm longer and broader.

We did get rid of 14 wasp nests and 1 hornets nest a week ago, which went right against how I feel about leaving nature alone, but in the case, we couldn't really leave them

It was the colouring on the one last week that struck me. I had never seen a hornet with such bright orange and black stripes before. Quite beautiful, and just as menacing. From looking at your photo, it also didn't have the hair follicles, and was completely smooth and shiny.

The wasps and hornets are currently enjoying the flowers on the masses of ivy at the moment, so I shall try to keep a better look out. Or rather the wasps are enjoying the flowers, and the hornets the wasps. I shall see if I can get some photos tomorrow.

Slightly changing the subject, I normally see plenty of wood wasps and masonry bees throughout the year as well, but haven't seen any this year. Our bats have also sadly vanished from the house, and they had seemingly been there forever.

.

 

[Nealh]

Defo needs a pic Eddie to 100% rule out a AH incursion.

If any one thinks that they have seen one as in this pic to report it immediately with location/post code.
mailto:alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
A response team will be sent out to investigate and take action to halt the incursion.

A landowner over the last few days reported a sighting in Hampshire as he had never seen the colouring before and noticed they were a bit different, subsequently FERA's NBU were quick off the mark and located and destroyed the nest.
These buggers are appearing a bit too much for us beekeepers liking, I suspect they are coming via transport hitching a lift on vehicles via ferry and tunnel.

 

[KirstinS]

..

 

[EddiePJ]

Nothing to panic about today.

I haven't seen the bright orange one since last week, and only the European one was to be seen today.

I only had my phone with me, and it did seem odd holding it just inches away from it. There were certainly plenty of them about today, and several hovering behind my head while I took the shot. To be honest they don't really worry me too much, but I do know of someone recntly that was stung in the chest, and subsquently spent the best part of a week in the ICU unit.

 

[KirstinS]

Asian hornets take prey on the wing decapitating it and removing the wings legs to cart away the thorax & abdomen.

The two hornets are different in size & markings, I hope in your case you are wrong Eddie and you have identified it incorrectly. However I know you are observant & have a keen eye.

This is a scary one Giant (Japanese) Asian hornet 3" wing span, good job their not here.
View attachment 26887

Holy moly ! I'm by no means an insect wimp

But by the gods that thing is the stuff of nightmares ![/QUOTE


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nealh]

The European/UK hornet although quite big for a wasp are generally less aggressive and then their smaller relations. Nests are usually rugby ball size and they generally prefer a rural wooded/forestry setting. Any disturbance very close to a nest is likely to bring out the defence mode in them to protect the queen and their home, these insects very rarely attack without cause.

I have a beek acquaintance who has renovated his watermill in Slaugham and there are hornets resident in an owl box very near to his beehives, they don't touch the bees and the bees don't seem to be at all bothered.

Never been stung by one but no doubt the sting would bloody hurt, and yes for certain people a hospital visit is non optional.

 

[Nealh]

Holy moly ! I'm by no means an insect wimp

But by the gods that thing is the stuff of nightmares ![/QUOTE


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

In China it's nick name is the Yak killer.
On average about 40 people p.a in Japan & China from the potent sting.

 

[Raboa]

Hi, i would look at this website, the beekeeper uses shungite for his beehives.

https://www.shungitebeehives.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkIHsF6Kw2QLkrhdS8nK7dg/videos

Thanks

 

[Nealh]

Hi, i would look at this website, the beekeeper uses shungite for his beehives.

https://www.shungitebeehives.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkIHsF6Kw2QLkrhdS8nK7dg/videos

Thanks

A load of tosh!!! Got now't to do with hornet control what so ever.

Get back your e bike.

 

[GLJoe]

This is a scary one Giant (Japanese) Asian hornet 3" wing span, good job their not here.
View attachment 26887

Ahhh. That's a pretty plastic toy isn't it? can you buy those on ebay?

 

[EddiePJ]

One rugby ball.