"Asian Hornet" seen in Cornwall

[masterBK]

So probably the european hornet as the Asian is relatively small by comparison. There are alot about this year ( I have seen hundreds where normally I only see one or two at this time of year)

 

[Beefriendly]

Doubt it, this guy knows his insects, he's an enthusiastic amateur entomologist.
Not a hornet he had seen before.
But no photo.
All hornets seem large unless you have two different subspecies flying alongside to give you the comparison.

 

[ShinySideUp]

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

Don't know about Hull but the [South of] Liskeard sighting seems to have been a one-off (for now), although the bee inspectors were at Trago Mills (West of Liskeard) earlier this week after a reported sighting; they put up traps but I've heard nothing since.

The wasp problem is dying off now and I'm wondering if any Asian Hornet activity is doing the same thing leading us to be lulled into a sense of false security. Spring queens, or the lack of them, will see how we did this year.

 

[For want of a better word]

Don't know about Hull but the [South of] Liskeard sighting seems to have been a one-off (for now), although the bee inspectors were at Trago Mills (West of Liskeard) earlier this week after a reported sighting; they put up traps but I've heard nothing since.

The wasp problem is dying off now and I'm wondering if any Asian Hornet activity is doing the same thing leading us to be lulled into a sense of false security. Spring queens, or the lack of them, will see how we did this year.

Cotehele National Trust property where there was the first ( although unconfirmed) sightings of the Asian Hornet in the recent Cornish "infestation", has been clear... only European type have been caught in the traps.

Traps have been taken down now ... a lot of European hornets have met a sad end, 20 plus queen hornets included in the tally.

Would have liked to have been able to use live traps, but in a " Jo public" area the fear is that interference would have taken place.

When emptying the traps, I was however impressed with the depth of knowledge people had about the Asian hornet and the propensity of misery it will have on beekeepers, and there seemed to be little sympathy for the European hornets as well...
this from the educated older population who spend their retirement visiting the National Trust properties.

As for me perhaps I can catch up on getting the remaining supers off of my colonies!

Yeghes da

 

[charlievictorbravo]

The whole thing has been very time-consuming. After the initial finding of the AH near Liskeard, our AHAT volunteers spent five days monitoring traps and hives in the apiary where the invader was found. Enthusiasm for hive monitoring has waned but the traps are still checked daily - nothing has been found either in the apiary or in the surrounding countryside where the NBU's SBIs have set up traps.

What is confusing some beekeepers and many of the general public is the large numbers of European Hornets seen this year, probably due to the heatwave we had. In six year of beekeeping, I've probably only seen half a dozen European Hornets. This year I've seen hundreds (will they be as numerous next year?). The government asks people to look out for Asian Hornets and when a comparatively rare EH is seen, people think "that must be the hornet we're told to look out for".

We've had so many reports, from the Liskeard area, of Asian Hornets that turn out to be European Hornets that we're telling people to photograph it and send it to the NNSS. We've visited four locations where the caller has insisted they've got AHs but it turns out to be EH. One sighting was passed on to the SBIs as our AHAT member only saw EHs but the caller was convinced he'd seen an AH - he was a naturalist too.

One surprising thing came out of the whole episode - the beekeeper who found the AH south of Liskeard had this feeling of something close to guilt at having found this thing and was appreciative of the work of other beekeepers in helping to monitor her apiary. Martin Hocking had similar feelings in Woolacombe last year but the circumstance were slightly different. For all the monitoring that was done, maybe this was the the most positive thing to come out of the AHAT involvement - beekeepers supporting another beekeeper - although we did not realise it at the time.

CVB

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

this from the educated older population who spend their retirement visiting the National Trust properties.

........reading the Daily fail, shouting at the wireless and telling everyone how much better it was when food was rationed, Rickets and TB was free and readily available and school leavers had plenty of job opportunities cleaning chimneys

 

[Karol]

<snip> In six year of beekeeping, I've probably only seen half a dozen European Hornets. This year I've seen hundreds (will they be as numerous next year?). <snip>
CVB

I am still of the opinion that the ban on neonicotinoids is playing a part in the recovery of wasp populations including hornets. Something has changed because we have seen considerably more insect and bird life. It may well be co-incidence but I suspect not.

 

[madasafish]

I am still of the opinion that the ban on neonicotinoids is playing a part in the recovery of wasp populations including hornets. Something has changed because we have seen considerably more insect and bird life. It may well be co-incidence but I suspect not.

We have had a warm hot summer, instead of rain from June on.

Made a huge difference to honey yields and insect life round here. There is zero neonicotinoid spraying or impregnated crops within a three miles + radius..

 

[Beefriendly]

We have had a warm hot summer, instead of rain from June on.

Made a huge difference to honey yields and insect life round here. There is zero neonicotinoid spraying or impregnated crops within a three miles + radius..

Same around us, no neonics used for years (it's mainly grazing land and forestry). This long hot summer with days of constant warmth has seen an explosion in the numbers of all sorts of insects. We are even seeing butterflies in the garden we have never recorded before.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

We have had a warm hot summer, instead of rain from June on.

Made a huge difference to honey yields and insect life round here. There is zero neonicotinoid spraying or impregnated crops within a three miles + radius..

no neonics this corner of the county - hedging my bets, and to include Glamorgan, I'd say no neonics within a thirty mile radius. Not much pyrethroids now they've stopped the sheep dip.

 

[Karol]

We have had a warm hot summer, instead of rain from June on.

Made a huge difference to honey yields and insect life round here. There is zero neonicotinoid spraying or impregnated crops within a three miles + radius..

Summer weather will influence when wasps start sweet feeding and hence their 'visibility' but does not dictate overall annual population size.

Neonics were extensively sold through retail outlets for garden use before being pulled.

 

[Beefriendly]

I think the warm continuous hot weather this summer had a major impact on insect population sizes. Most English summers foraging for food/nectar is restricted by inclement weather which restricts the availability of food. It also means they sit in hives/nest consuming valuable resources. Basically, if you cannot fly you cannot forage. Inclement weather is a major constraint on how large your population can grow.
This year, with at least three months of endless sunshine, has meant many social insect populations have been able to show what they are capable of. There have been no restrictions on foraging for nectar or food, it's been continuous. As witnessed by a 3 fold increase in summer honey between June to the end of July. Plus enormous colonies of bees, far bigger than usual. Plus the physical size of wasp nests I'm seeing...they are huge, compared to other years.
For me, the sunshine is the key.

 

[domino]

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.

I'm going to use it. To me it's elegant, targeted and means a beekeeper I'm able to knock out the vast majority of the population within my area.

 

[For want of a better word]

I'm going to use it. To me it's elegant, targeted and means a beekeeper I'm able to knock out the vast majority of the population within my area.

Not something to shout from the rooftops.... particularly in the urban conglomerate of London

... already a growing fraction ( probably Vegans!) out there who are anti- beekeeping and beekeepers, as "their honeybees" are competing for forage with the endemic population of pollinators and wiping them out.

Saying that... there would probably be*** good reason not to overload any area with honey bees!

***Discuss

Yeghes da

 

[Karol]

I think that argument can be countered in that VV is an invasive species introduced by humans and that wiping them out is about protecting indigenous species - so long as the method is only used against VV. Any other use I would suggest would be irresponsible.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I'm going to use it.

Might also work well with wasps.

 

[foghornleghorn]

How far north and west is vv likely to survive? Is it similar to the European hornet which I dont think is present in a lot of the uk?

 

[Karol]

I think it would struggle to match crabro for distribution if ever it got established. Crabro nests are circa 400 individuals. VV circa 5000 which takes a lot of sustenance.

 

[Beefriendly]

Might also work well with wasps.

The rapid zap kills wasps...looking at alternative live trapping. Then in the fridge for a few hours and off they go.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The rapid zap kills wasps...looking at alternative live trapping. Then in the fridge for a few hours and off they go.

I was thinking of trapping the wasps in a normal high efficiency bottle trap, using a solid bait, then a few seconds dose of co2 to anesthetize them ready for application of the fipronil mix before release.