Asian Giant Hornet

[Hivemaker.]

There are no Asian giant Hornets (Vespa mandarinia) either here or in France.

 

[Plenty of honey]

Giant Japanese Hornet Vespa Mandarinana as Hivemake quite rightly said, Not in the Uk or France!

https://www.google.co.uk/imgres?img...4e1M&itg=1&usg=__O1-NoxE5WBqT8mC_HQDCjCSBXsw=

3 Asian Hornets, (currently in France) "Vespa Velutina Nigrithorax" Next to common hornet, Vespa Crabbo (above)

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=12911&stc=1&d=1461514303

 

[kazmcc]

All potential hornet reports go to the guys at BWARS, and to date there have been no confirmed reports of the Asian hornet in the UK.

I know this as we were discussing this (again) a few days ago as hornets are starting to emerge and the queens freak people out.

 

[chrisb]

Asian giant

http://3.bp.--------.com/-DVRx7pr2i0w/Vd0euAw9dsI/AAAAAAAAHbg/lWuaADtfmPc/s640/v_mandarinia.jpg

European

http://3.bp.--------.com/-bwhtO18ArIc/Vd0fwiAP7mI/AAAAAAAAHbo/dUcfUQ3iYwg/s640/v_crabro.jpg

 

[TryingToLetThemBee]

Even a single hornet is not the end of the world; we "need" a fertilised Q to have a problem.

 

[misterbee82]

Saw a video on the Asian hornet versus Japanese honey bees. The Japanese honey bees have developed a defense method where they ball around the hornet and heat up to 117 degrees the hornet only survives up to 115 degrees. Do you think the European honey bees will ever adapt this method for hornets, yellow jackets, and wasps?

 

[kazmcc]

Chris Luck has an apiary near them and he writes that they are no bigger problem than other wasps. I have his article bookmarked on my laptop but it's broke. I'll try and find it. I think he's a member on here isn't he?

Found it! https://issuu.com/amm_france/docs/living_magazine_october_15 pg 22

 

[wessexmario]

Yes it was dont have a photo this was big really big checked it out on the net and it was the same a complete match

The devil is in the detail...
Can you confirm which of these hornets it was?

(each image contains a selection of different species)

 

[Brian Bush]

The message is becoming a little mixed. The Hornet we are concerned about is the Asian hornet Vespa Velutina. A single queen, they over-winter as queens just like wasps, arrived in a consignment of pottery from china a few years ago. This one queen has given rise to a hornet population that has spread throughout France, Northern Spain and Portugal, Parts of Switzerland, Belgium and Germany. Currently all European colonies can be traced via DNA to this one source. Most of France has been populated by a gradual outward spread but some pockets have developed from inadvertent movement of queens by humans. There is a map available on the web that shows reported outbreaks.
Our local bee inspector was part of a team from NBU that travelled to France to find out more about this species and how to tackle it. They have a voracious appetite for all other insects. He showed footage of bushes where they were feeding on nectar and not another insect in sight. No wasps or hoverflies or bees can be seen around them.
On visiting a local market he observed these hornets stealing whole shrimps from the fish stalls. Pictures of the result of them stinging were horrific.
The French have a plan for their control, having not had a plan originally for their extermination.
If the relevant authorities are informed early enough we may be able to prevent colonisation of the UK.
We are supposed to report sightings to the exotic species people but they are understaffed and may take several days to respond. We are asked to report immediately to the NBU and bee inspectorate and they will respond immediately.
There are a number of reports each year, not helped by incorrect pictures of the species involved in newspapers.
As one of the forum members says on this thread the expected invasion is along the South Coast from across the Channel. There is also the chance that we may get a direct invader in a container from China or a French queen inadvertently brought over on a vehicle.
If you see any suspicious hornet please photograph and capture and report immediately. One of my friends last year was convinced she had found one, it turned out to be a European hornet but she had to hit it twice with a brick to disable it.

Pictures of Vespa Velutina attached

 

[kazmcc]

My concern is that our native hornet will suffer as a result of scare mongering tabloid articles. Did your friend kill it?

 

[Brian Bush]

My concern is that our native hornet will suffer as a result of scare mongering tabloid articles. Did your friend kill it?

Unfortunately Yes. It was in her horse feed bucket. She is a beekeeper and a county person of many years but had never seen a hornet before. I have used the specimen to show many newbees what to look for so they can easily see the distinction. These newspapers are a double edged sword. I saw an article in one the other day regarding honey bees with a picture of a bumble!!!

 

[Karol]

I very much doubt that Velutina will ever get established in the UK let alone get across the channel and that's down to biology.

Velutina is limited to areas with high insect densities (to sustain its colonies) and suitable nesting habitats. Necessarily this is warm wet marsh/woodland climates. If you look at the geographical disposition of Velutina in France it has been largely constrained to the wetland forested areas around Bordeaux. It has not been able to spread south across the Pyrenees to any great extent nor much further north to open arable land.

The UK doesn't have much in the way of warm wetland forests. Velutina is likely to struggle badly in the UK especially because our climate is more inclement than Southern France which will hold back colony development by suppressing hunting/foraging activity.

By all means be vigilant but I think the whole issue is a non-event as far as the UK is concerned and I do think it puts our own native species at risk.

 

[kazmcc]

Unfortunately Yes. It was in her horse feed bucket. She is a beekeeper and a county person of many years but had never seen a hornet before. I have used the specimen to show many newbees what to look for so they can easily see the distinction. These newspapers are a double edged sword. I saw an article in one the other day regarding honey bees with a picture of a bumble!!!

Gah! At least she's being put to good use.

 

[Plenty of honey]

I very much doubt that Velutina will ever get established in the UK let alone get across the channel and that's down to biology.

Velutina is limited to areas with high insect densities (to sustain its colonies) and suitable nesting habitats. Necessarily this is warm wet marsh/woodland climates. If you look at the geographical disposition of Velutina in France it has been largely constrained to the wetland forested areas around Bordeaux. It has not been able to spread south across the Pyrenees to any great extent nor much further north to open arable land.

The UK doesn't have much in the way of warm wetland forests. Velutina is likely to struggle badly in the UK especially because our climate is more inclement than Southern France which will hold back colony development by suppressing hunting/foraging activity.

By all means be vigilant but I think the whole issue is a non-event as far as the UK is concerned and I do think it puts our own native species at risk.

I totally disagree with you Karol, we've got them everywhere here in France, and their heading East in towards the German border and South East, to the rest of France. They have made it right up in to Normandy and their now just across the Channel from the Kent coast. In my mind it won't be long before a queen hitches a lift on a ferry or the channel Tunnel.
Your quite correct , they do proliferate more in areas of high insect areas. but there is high insect areas in most of France, as well as marshy areas in the uk. we've seen more in areas with canals and inland waterways. They use these as their hunting areas, so the uk is an ideal place in my mind.
They have adapted to our northern climate here, last summer was poor here, and they still did well, foraging in cool temperatures!! When they first made an appearance in the Gironde area of france, We never even thought they would move north to any where near us, and instead they have gone past us, heading towards the uk so i think they will make it.
Even though last summer was pretty poor, in areas not trapped by beekeepers, there was many nests high in the trees after leaf fall.

On the flip Side, they have been no way near a problem as we first thought they might be.
I Trap in the spring and catch the queens that emerge from Hibernation. This is a really effective way of control.

I agree they probably won't be much of an overall problem, but never underestimate an insect. Remember they said that africanised honey bees would never make it as far north as they have!!
Completely different species, but...

 

[beeno]

The European Hornets hawk my beehives every summer and catch them on their way back to the hives. Luckily it has not been that many as yet, but potentially it could be.

 

[Brian Bush]

I very much doubt that Velutina will ever get established in the UK let alone get across the channel and that's down to biology.

Velutina is limited to areas with high insect densities (to sustain its colonies) and suitable nesting habitats. Necessarily this is warm wet marsh/woodland climates. If you look at the geographical disposition of Velutina in France it has been largely constrained to the wetland forested areas around Bordeaux. It has not been able to spread south across the Pyrenees to any great extent nor much further north to open arable land.

The UK doesn't have much in the way of warm wetland forests. Velutina is likely to struggle badly in the UK especially because our climate is more inclement than Southern France which will hold back colony development by suppressing hunting/foraging activity.
Sorry to disagree Karol. The map presented by the bee inspector showed high densities in Northern Spain and Portugal and presented a fairly equal outward expansion across France with the 'jumps' to outpost locations. The NBU believe it is just a matter of time before they start a colony on this side of the channel. Vigilance is needed because the best way to disrupt in by capturing in traps the over wintered queens before they start their major breeding.

By all means be vigilant but I think the whole issue is a non-event as far as the UK is concerned and I do think it puts our own native species at risk.

I am sorry to disagree Karol. The map presented by the bee inspector showed high densities in Northern Spain and Portugal. The outward spread from the first infestation in France was very clear at steady progress each year. The NBU appear convinced that they can become established in the UK. The best way to control them is to use traps to capture the queens in Spring before they build large colonies.

 

[Brian Bush]

I totally disagree with you Karol, we've got them everywhere here in France, and their heading East in towards the German border and South East, to the rest of France. They have made it right up in to Normandy and their now just across the Channel from the Kent coast. In my mind it won't be long before a queen hitches a lift on a ferry or the channel Tunnel.
Your quite correct , they do proliferate more in areas of high insect areas. but there is high insect areas in most of France, as well as marshy areas in the uk. we've seen more in areas with canals and inland waterways. They use these as their hunting areas, so the uk is an ideal place in my mind.
They have adapted to our northern climate here, last summer was poor here, and they still did well, foraging in cool temperatures!! When they first made an appearance in the Gironde area of france, We never even thought they would move north to any where near us, and instead they have gone past us, heading towards the uk so i think they will make it.
Even though last summer was pretty poor, in areas not trapped by beekeepers, there was many nests high in the trees after leaf fall.

On the flip Side, they have been no way near a problem as we first thought they might be.
I Trap in the spring and catch the queens that emerge from Hibernation. This is a really effective way of control.

I agree they probably won't be much of an overall problem, but never underestimate an insect. Remember they said that africanised honey bees would never make it as far north as they have!!
Completely different species, but...

 

[kazmcc]

Have I understood this correctly? They make a initial nest quite close to the ground, then as the year progresses they take to the tree tops to make their final nest?

 

[Plenty of honey]

Have I understood this correctly? They make a initial nest quite close to the ground, then as the year progresses they take to the tree tops to make their final nest?

Yes, Asian Hornet queens tend to make an initial nest, like a nursery nest, we would call it. Very much like a wasp or common hornets nest. When they are up to numbers, say 100 workers or more ( but i dont know exact average figures) they migrate. Thats when they suddenly move to the top of a tree or usually in an inaccessible place. However, thats the majority of nests. There are reports last year that quite a few were discovered in places not expected for the asian Hornet.
Will try and post a pic of a starter nest i destroyed last year.
Perhaps their adapting, if so control of nests we do find, may become more achievable, due to their position.
This one was in my friends doorway, who happen to mention it to me, glad he did! You can see the developing grubs, and the dead queen adjacent to the nest after i sprayed It.


http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=12924&stc=1&d=1461616567


http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/attachment.php?attachmentid=12925&stc=1&d=1461616653

 

[castanea]

Asian Hornet

Hi
I was in Edinburgh in March/April approx 3 weeks all the time there all I seen was one bumble bee which kept trying to get in the house. On the last day checking my daughter had closed the window there was a Asian Hornet flying on the window. Last thing I expected to see. I set up my traps before leaving France full of the little devils.