Asian Hornet - Update

[Tom Bick]

congrats on you 1st at the NHS

Thanks Geoff picked up four in the end and a couple, pieces of silver in the end

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks Geoff picked up four in the end and a couple, pieces of silver in the end

Stan and I wanted to congratulate yesterday too but thought you might not know yourself till you got to the show .......so well done

 

[Karol]

Back from hols. Can confirm that we've been doing a little bit of work regarding trapping of Asian hornets and they don't appear to be comfortable entering traps with standard entrance flutes/holes which means the required entrance holes cannot differentiate against the larger European hornet.

I agree with JBM that an FOI request aught to be lodged against the NBU if the advice given on the stall is that velutina is in the UK, i.e. the NBU know something that they are not sharing with us.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Back from hols. Can confirm that we've been doing a little bit of work regarding trapping of Asian hornets and they don't appear to be comfortable entering traps with standard entrance flutes/holes which means the required entrance holes cannot differentiate against the larger European hornet.

I agree with JBM that an FOI request aught to be lodged against the NBU if the advice given on the stall is that velutina is in the UK, i.e. the NBU know something that they are not sharing with us.

The website - what do they know - can be used to make such requests for information and all correspondence can be easily viewed by anyone else which saves responses being confined to a limited audience.

 

[Tom Bick]

Stan and I wanted to congratulate yesterday too but thought you might not know yourself till you got to the show .......so well done

Thanks for that, it's very sweet of you. I knew of one cup but didn't know about the 2nd until they published the results. The most satisfying bit was the association won the Middlesex cup, means nothing to people outside of Middlesex but it's been a long time since we won it. The thing is we have to do it all again next year.

Bought one of the sublimation gizmos with the winnings

 

[alldigging]

The website - what do they know - can be used to make such requests for information and all correspondence can be easily viewed by anyone else which saves responses being confined to a limited audience.

As exampled here
https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/request/national_bee_unit_research_and_e

 

[Beefriendly]

Back from hols. Can confirm that we've been doing a little bit of work regarding trapping of Asian hornets and they don't appear to be comfortable entering traps with standard entrance flutes/holes which means the required entrance holes cannot differentiate against the larger European hornet.

I presume you are testing in France? Or you know something we don't.?
There is an interesting web site looking at various traps, attractants and their efficiency for capturing Asian Hornets by the French Agricultural Research Institute and INRA. Makes interesting reading. Apologies if it's been posted before.
https://www.apimondia.com/congresse...Vespa velutina nigrithorax - MAHER Nevile.pdf

Large funnels and apple juice seem to come out tops.

 

[domino]

That's an interesting read. I'm going to make some traps up over the winter so I can deploy them when they arrive around here.

The floor designs are something I've looked at and I'm holding my fire on those until we get some reports in about how well they work.

This is a presentation on them and they are claiming they can control SHB at well - https://www.apimondia.com/congresse...s and other intruders - IFANTIDIS Michael.pdf

 

[BeeJayBee]

https://www.apimondia.com/congresse...Vespa velutina nigrithorax - MAHER Nevile.pdf

Large funnels and apple juice seem to come out tops.

The "large funnel = talc" seems to do well. Does anybody know how the 'talc' is included in the design?

 

[charlievictorbravo]

The "large funnel = talc" seems to do well. Does anybody know how the 'talc' is included in the design?

From what I saw on one of the French sites, the talc is used to dust the inside of the trap so that the target hornet cannot get a grip on the side or top to find its way out.

One video I saw showed the trap being thrown away after one use but my spoken French was not up to finding out why it was not re-used. The bait was a mixture of stout, blackcurrant juice and white wine.

CVB

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Here's another French homemade trap - selectif!

CVB

 

[charlievictorbravo]

and here's another French beekeeper using a more manual method - if you understand the commentary, you might understand why he's using this method? I cannot follow the commentary but he's having fun, trapping Asian Hornets.

CVB

 

[charlievictorbravo]

and if you're a hunter, this is surely the method for you.

CVB

 

[charlievictorbravo]

here's one for JMB here it's the protocol for destroying Asian Hornets Nests in high trees using multiple 12 gauge shotguns. It needs translation, which isn't brilliant but you'll get the idea if you use Google translation.

They appear to do a countdown then blast the nest with shots in quick succession - unusual but effective - apparently.

CVB

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Bit the same as clearing squirrel nests then.

 

[Erichalfbee]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36349379

They kill people too according to the BBC

 

[Barbarian]

I'm puzzled.
About an hour ago, I read an item on the BBC news website saying that Defra had announced that the Asian hornet event had been contained. The Mendip event was just 2 individual hornets.

I tried looking on Beebase without success. A recent return to the BBC site has drawn a blank ---- typical of my computer skills.

 

[Hivemaker.]

The Mendip event was just 2 individual hornets

Those two hornets did well to build that great big nest in the top of the tree.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-36349379

They kill people too according to the BBC

People have died in France when they've tried to remove a nest without the correct protective clothing and received multiple stings. The deaths were attributed to anaphylactic shock: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...nets-to-uk-mainland-poses-huge-threat-to-hon/

On the BBC at lunchtime , the local news (Spotlight) said a little about the Tetbury incident but there will be a longer report on the 6.30pm local news broadcast.

Dusty's bit on the BBC clip you linked to was very informative for the general public.

CVB

 

[Erichalfbee]

Thanks CVB it's difficult to get decent information from anywhere sensible. Can you presume that asian hornets rather than targeting people to sting them do so only defensively.......like any wasp