"Asian Hornet" seen in Cornwall

[wessexmario]

This study gives a density of over 10 nests per sq Km in France.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28515497

With a foraging range of around a kilometre, there is a lot of overlap between Vespa velutina colony foraging areas.

 

[Karol]

Does anyone know what the density of nests is in France per square km? I know bees naturally space themselves out so they don't over compete with each other, do hornets do the same thing?

I'm thinking about this in the context of the trap and release method if killing nests.

I doubt you'll get any sensible numbers because they will be so variable depending on topography, climate, water, available nesting sites and abundance of food.

If by trap and release you mean the Mazzamazda method then you basically deploy the method whenever you encounter VV at the hive but the secret is to do it as soon and as early in the season as you can. It's those first early hornets that'll do most damage back at the nest because there will be less hornets between the forager and the queen which is the real target of the method.

 

[deanrpwaacs]

With regards to the media . Radio 2 today . Steve Wright 39 mins in . Tim Smith spouting absolute tosh . What a bell end . Its crap like this that makes my blood boil .

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

 

[Karsal]

With regards to the media . Radio 2 today . Steve Wright 39 mins in . Tim Smith spouting absolute tosh . What a bell end . Its crap like this that makes my blood boil .

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

Yes he did talk a load of crap!!

Totally mixed up message about the Asian Hornet found in Britain

 

[charlievictorbravo]

While the Mazzamazda method may be effective it could be improved by using a less powerful and persistent insecticide. The method is likely to be illegal in the UK for use on Asian Hornets. As a non-native species, it is currently illegal to release Asian Hornets into the wild if captured.

This anomoly needs to be sorted out during the phoney war period so that when the real war on AH starts, protocols and chemicals are all approved for use in advance.

CVB

 

[Karol]

So any method using micro transmitters is also illegal.

The Mazzamazda method only comes into its own once VV becomes established.

 

[ShinySideUp]

Yes he did talk a load of crap!!

Totally mixed up message about the Asian Hornet found in Britain

I haven't listened to that idiot (or Radio 2 for that matter -- awful format) for years, I'm surprised he's still on.

 

[ShinySideUp]

This study gives a density of over 10 nests per sq Km in France.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28515497

With a foraging range of around a kilometre, there is a lot of overlap between Vespa velutina colony foraging areas.

To be honest, it seems there is no hope unless scientists come up with a genetic bomb for them, or perhaps releasing millions of sterile males might work as has been shown to be effective against the mosquito in parts of Africa.

 

[Stiffy]

With regards to the media . Radio 2 today . Steve Wright 39 mins in . Tim Smith spouting absolute tosh . What a bell end . Its crap like this that makes my blood boil .

Sent from my SM-N950F using Tapatalk

I know who Steve Wright is but excuse my ignorance who is Tim Smith and what has he to do with Asian hornets?
S

 

[Karol]

To be honest, it seems there is no hope unless scientists come up with a genetic bomb for them, or perhaps releasing millions of sterile males might work as has been shown to be effective against the mosquito in parts of Africa.

Releasing sterile males won't work I'm afraid. Queen hornets mate multiple times.

The message has to be not to panic. Mazzamazda has gone from having several hundred VV attacking his hives at any one time to only a couple turning up incidentally every now and then.

 

[For want of a better word]

Phoned them... aid said he had gone home
Kernow bys vikken!
Mytten da

PHEW Mr Churchfields' conservatory was FULL of European hornets... most were dead!

Good riddance he said but SOMEBODY had phoned in to Radio Cornwall with details of how to check they were European hornets..

Well folks at least now I am a SOMEBODY !!!!

Mytten da

 

[ShinySideUp]

PHEW
Well folks at least now I am a SOMEBODY !!!!

Mytten da

No one can ever say you were a nobody.

 

[Karsal]

To be honest, it seems there is no hope unless scientists come up with a genetic bomb for them, or perhaps releasing millions of sterile males might work as has been shown to be effective against the mosquito in parts of Africa.

He's cheaper than Chris Evans !!

 

[Newbeeneil]

So any method using micro transmitters is also illegal

Good point!

 

[domino]

Another for my list titled 'why the hell am I a BBKA member?'

https://twitter.com/britishbee/status/1039804164585472000

When I had work done on my loft they found six old wasp nests. I don't think wasps or hornets give two hoots if there is a dead old nest next to their house.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

So any method using micro transmitters is also illegal.

I hope to hear Peter Kennedy of Exeter University speak at this year's "Bit of a Do" - WCBKA and CBKA annual shindig at Truro in a week and a half. I'll ask him if he's been given special dispensation to release any captured 'invasive species'.

CVB

 

[Karol]

With respect to the Mazzamazda method it is arguable that the hornets are not being released per se. They have been treated and will die within circa 6 hours.

That can't be said for hornets tagged with micro transmitters which are at risk of failing before nests might be located.

Please don't miss understand. I think the use of micro transmitters is a great idea and highly useful as part of the overall armoury of preventing early infestation with VV. Whether releasing tagged VV is legal or not is not something that I think anyone get be too hung up about. Just that if arguments are going to be used to prevent the use of a potentially effective method then those arguments shouldn't be contrived because the ramifications could be extensive.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Another for my list titled 'why the hell am I a BBKA member?'

https://twitter.com/britishbee/status/1039804164585472000

When I had work done on my loft they found six old wasp nests. I don't think wasps or hornets give two hoots if there is a dead old nest next to their house.

Went to Peter Kennedy's talks at this year's BBKA spring convention - he was showing photographs of his time out in France and Spain tracking hornets - one was of an Asian Hornet's nest way up in a tree - and another one in a much lower bush less than a hundred yards away.

 

[Brian Bush]

At the risk of being boring can anyone update me on the Liskard and Hull sightings, please?

 

[Beefriendly]

At the risk of being alarmist, a friend and very observant amateur naturalist has seen a very large hornet he could not identify near Melbourne on the Pocklington canal, SE of York. No photo, so no report of potential alien species.