I was going to post on a new thread, but seeing that the AH springtime strategy banter has kicked off here in earnest, in what is an exhaustive (if not exhausting) exchange ...
The stalls at the Beekeeping Show on Saturday were (worryingly) awash with traps and gadgets to deal with the Asian Hornet, and I - like others - had noticed that the monthly 'to do' notes published in the latest BBKA mag advised getting prepared to trap (though, conspicuously not in the similar Beecraft column).
As far as I am aware - and whilst the cluster of nests found in Kent probably leads most of us to conclude that we possibly do have established populations - 1) We have no firm view on this from the NBU, 2) They are certainly not endemic (as in e.g. France), and 3) We have no idea what their geographic spread will be. It's still early stages.
If I were near those sites in Kent (or even other sites where nests were found, especially on the south coast), I might well be thinking/acting differently, but what the hell is the benefit of spring trapping to the rest of us?
I know the impact (and efficacy) will depend on the trap design and the time in spring it is set, but I think there is no doubt that there will be a substantial and unnecessary bycatch of native species, and to what end, if you are doing this speculatively? As I say, if you have had known populations nearby, I get it, but if not???
So, you catch (and kill) a juvenile Queen, out to establish it's primary nest. Well done
Have you made an effective intervention? Probably not, if you think say a hundred foundress Queens may have been produced by the originating nest, but only very few (a percent or so?) might go on to successfully establish successful secondary nests of their own. And a dead hornet can't be tracked. Bravo.
I'm clearly missing something.
I understand the merits of bait stations, but, as a hobbyist, and in an area not affected (and unlikely to be anytime soon), I have to be honest and admit that I am not going to be monitoring, myself.
In educating ourselves it is evident that we are (like the traps) more or less selective in what we assimilate. I for one am putting all my eggs in the NBU basket - especially having read the expansive comments from Karol in this thread - and await their ongoing advice.
I have come to conclude (given that there are only certain things genuinely in our control) that, in any event,
the absolutely best way of defending against the hornet is to maintain strong, healthy, disease-free colonies with few stressors. Situation normal.
Every other mitigating intervention has a downside. For example, I was drawn to the idea of a hive muzzle, but even there, I have read research papers which suggest that the tipping point at which they have a positive benefit in relation to hive mortality is when there are >5 hawking hornets. Where there are fewer (or none), they are relatively detrimental to colony survival.
That is to say we would be harming our colonies by introducing these measures pre-emptively...
... just like we would be harming our populations of native insects by setting traps pre-emptively.
I would be very interested to know how many of your local Associations are actively advising their members to undertake spring trapping. One local Association near me is promoting a trap. Ours will thankfully not yet be endorsing trapping.
I know it's best to be prepared, but for me, that just means education now, until or unless the beasties arrive, and the NBU strategy pivots.
Always happy to learn and reflect.
