Asian Hornets

[Erichalfbee]

If this is so, it puts the first 10 responses in this thread in a shameful light.

No it doesn’t Poot. Hindsight.
We (well some of us … and guilty as charged )like a joke but none of us , armed with Tony’s post would have done so.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’m planning on moving at least two colonies back to my garden

That is a good idea. I always have a bait hive on my potting shed roof. For some reason the swarm got moved straight away this year.

 

[The Poot]

No it doesn’t Poot. Hindsight.
We (well some of us … and guilty as charged )like a joke but none of us , armed with Tony’s post would have done so.

Yes it does, it was the assumptions made that were unnecessary before obtaining information.

 

[fian]

Yes it does, it was the assumptions made that were unnecessary before obtaining information.

Something that can be verified when reading the publications in the other thread dedicated to Asian hornets.

 

[Ian123]

Yes it does, it was the assumptions made that were unnecessary before obtaining information.

Really!……. Not seeing losses of 2/3rds of hives in areas they’re endemic now!…..fian appears to show an increase in kept hives and beekeepers!

 

[ericbeaumont]

Hindsight

Lack of foresight?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Lack of foresight?

is that circumspection or circumcision?

 

[Parsonage Bees]

I have been to the apiary and met Simon, I assure you he has done everything possible to protect his colonies. His apiary have more traps set than you can imagine and he has trapped out areas beyond his apiary to determine the flight direction and draw them away. His apiary is inundated with hornets, he has trapped up to 40 in a single day. They are absolutely hammering his hives, it is relentless. The apiary is located 200m from the top of the cliff system which in itself is 500m from the sea. The area is almost completely inaccessable, it has just one footpath through it. There are multiple Asian Hornet nests in the area, you can easily tell this by the number of unique flight trajectories but despite a massive effort by the NBU on the ground and others the nests have not been found. It is most likely that these were from Queens that overwintered in the area rather than blown in or hitchhikers. Further nest finds in Kent have largely been from this location, along the North Downs and up to Rochester, Gravesend and London, and the the west of the line. In 3 or 4 weeks those nests will be releasing Queens, in France they spread at 80km per year.

What more can we learn from this case? Who can report on this?

Date of the first sighting, nests found, destroyed, baits tried, what happened to the colonies (died over winter or overcome by hornets), Mitigations tried, reduced entrances? moving hives?

 

[Howard Carter]

Hi there. I live in Galicia, Northwest Spain and I can confirm that the Asian hornet is rife here. I am a novice beekeeper, it's been my first summer and I have 2 Langstroth hives in my garden. In general, more experienced beekeepers are defending their hives by using special, often homemade traps for "velutinas" together with Electric "harps", which kill the hornets but not the bees and, more recently, special feeders for the hornets that contain larvacide, essentially to kill the hornet queens in very early spring. The hornets are attracted to fermented sugars but the bees won't go near alcohol. The temperature seems to be a significant variable too. In Asturias, in higher, slightly colder climes the hornets are less prolific.

 

[Erichalfbee]

What more can we learn from this case? Who can report on this?

Date of the first sighting, nests found, destroyed, baits tried, what happened to the colonies (died over winter or overcome by hornets), Mitigations tried, reduced entrances? moving hives?

Is anybody else in the area suffering similar predation/ losses?

 

[JamezF]

The impression I've always had is that traps will not protect a colony once AH has found it and that they're only really useful for killing or tracking relatively small numbers of insects. If they know where there's food then they're quite likely to keep going where there's food.

In that situation I think I'd be looking at installing some of the physical barriers that are used in France, for example (though I don't know how well they work) and getting the hives moved elsewhere as soon as possible. Personally if I had seventeen colonies I'd probably want another apiary site already lined up anyhow, for quarantine purposes if nothing else.

If it's genuinely believed that there are multiple AH nests in the area that can't be found and that it won't be possible to stop queens emerging this year then perhaps the site isn't a viable apiary any more anyhow.

James

 

[fian]

Really!……. Not seeing losses of 2/3rds of hives in areas they’re endemic now!…..fian appears to show an increase in kept hives and beekeepers!

That there are more professional beekeepers does not mean that there is no mortality due to the incidence of the Asian hornet. It is also true that measures such as electric harps have been taken to protect the hives. In other words, the effects can be reduced as long as you are willing to invest (greater spending or lowering of benefits that a beekeeper with higher production can better cushion.
I also want to remember that the equipment (drawers, lifts, extractor, etc.) is much cheaper than in the United Kingdom and we can also count on some support from the administration. If you want to believe that there are no more measures behind to explain the increase in beekeeping in Galicia, you are within your rights, but holding on to false flags is not a good sign.

 

[fian]

Hi there. I live in Galicia, Northwest Spain and I can confirm that the Asian hornet is rife here. I am a novice beekeeper, it's been my first summer and I have 2 Langstroth hives in my garden. In general, more experienced beekeepers are defending their hives by using special, often homemade traps for "velutinas" together with Electric "harps", which kill the hornets but not the bees and, more recently, special feeders for the hornets that contain larvacide, essentially to kill the hornet queens in very early spring. The hornets are attracted to fermented sugars but the bees won't go near alcohol. The temperature seems to be a significant variable too. In Asturias, in higher, slightly colder climes the hornets are less prolific.

It is not so much the climate, since Asturias and Galicia have more or less the same. I suppose you live near Ourense/Vigo with a higher maximum temperature. A much more determining factor is the altitude because inland they have always had less incidence. Sometimes I already put the map of Galicia with the distribution of retired children in which this relationship can be clearly seen.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

retired children

lucky buggers

 

[Tony Warren]

If this is so, it puts the first 10 responses in this thread in a shameful light.

I wouldnt be to hard on those previous comments, they were made in light of what they knew. The official reporting has been very poor, and largely still is. It is very limited, late and mostly just plain wrong. The latest reports say 37 nests found in 30 locations, mostly Kent but also Hampshire, Dorset and Devon/Cornwall. There are nests that are currently being tracked etc, these are not listed, not sure why not. We have set up a group to call for and gather volunteers to look out for Asian Hornets, either casually or by trapping, either a trap in their garden of an organised trapping exercise, and through to tracking as needed. It is aimed at everyone not just beekeepers, we are unashamedly copying the Jersey model. The primary target is to have a massive Queen trapping exercise in the spring but some are already putting out traps or being vigulent now, with results. The webpage is in its formation www.AsianHornetAlert.org.uk, the facebook group is Asian Hornet Alert. Other people can do the science and education far better, we are simply building a group of volunteers to help see, trap and report (via the app). Help is needed, please spread the word.

 

[Karol]

It is precisely when nests are hard to find because of topography that fipronil custard comes into its own. The priority has to be to prevent sexuals maturing in the nest which necessarily killing the queen before sexuals are laid and differentiated.

 

[fian]

lucky buggers

It's the translator

 

[Newbeeneil]

It is precisely when nests are hard to find because of topography that fipronil custard comes into its own. The priority has to be to prevent sexuals maturing in the nest which necessarily killing the queen before sexuals are laid and differentiated.

Do you think that mazzamazda’s custard is likely to be used by beekeepers if they start losing hives?

Maybe the recipe needs to be a sticky?

 

[fian]

It is precisely when nests are hard to find because of topography that fipronil custard comes into its own. The priority has to be to prevent sexuals maturing in the nest which necessarily killing the queen before sexuals are laid and differentiated.

It's crazy to use King's Gunpowder (his custard poisoned with fipronil) to remove velutins.
-30% of the poison remains in the nest, available to kill decomposers.
-Fipronil acts by contact, being able to eliminate the carrier halfway.
-The biological breakdown of fipronil leaves compounds that are more dangerous than fipronil itself.
-The activity of pressure in the apiary returns two weeks after ceasing the bait.
-It is not a specific bait, any other living being can be tempted to eat it, especially the European hornet.

 

[RJC]

Just started walking the Camino de Finisterre in Galicia. A lot of Asian hornets easily seen - either feeding on grapes and brambles, or hawing over flowering mint. A real eye opener, and very distinctive with their nearly black bodies and yellow heads as they fly towards you. Easy to pick up dead ones on the road, which I guess have been hit by cars.