Asian Hornets

[Will Kevans]

Just looked it up on Google, nasty stuff, not good for bees either!

 

[user 819]

Fibronil is this a chemical I can access in France what is it for?Im guessing some kind of tick insecticide?

Readily available dog/cat flea/tick treatment.

 

[Will Kevans]

Readily available dog/cat flea/tick treatment.

Well according to google the nest of hornets would be around 100 workers. Having now killed about 40 of them with a badminton racket I think I may continue this method and finish off the remaining 60

 

[user 819]

Google may well be wrong, other sources suggest some nests can be some 1000's of workers strong. As with any nest size and numbers will vary.

 

[Wilco]

Well according to google the nest of hornets would be around 100 workers. Having now killed about 40 of them with a badminton racket I think I may continue this method and finish off the remaining 60

This assumes there is only one nest.

 

[Repwoc]

Well according to google the nest of hornets would be around 100 workers

Could that be an Asian Giant Hornet (V.Mandarinia) nest?

 

[Will Kevans]

Readily available dog/cat flea/tick treatment.

This has been my strategy now for these hornets, I stun them with an electric swat and let them fly back to their nest smeared in fiprinil mixed with date syrup and custard. The French creme anglais is a bit thin to stick so I added the syrup. I think it seems to have been effective as I've seen less of the blighters.

 

[Will Kevans]

Could that be an Asian Giant Hornet (V.Mandarinia) nest?

Yes I think you may be right

 

[Will Kevans]

As we don’t have them we would all be guessing!!! However if you use the search function there’s a Portuguese chap who stuns them with his electric racket paints them with custard/tick treatment and sends them on the way. It works for him!

This is my go to method now...it seems to be working so far.

 

[Will Kevans]

This mixture of beer and grenadine in hornet trap seems to be effective...recipe from french beekeeper!

 

[Nannysbees]

All I want to know is worth hanging outside my hive for an hour every day killing Asian Hornets with a badminton racket or am I wasting my time?

Have a look at richard noel on YouTube he is based in France has recently put up videos on Asian hornets, worth a look

 

[Will Kevans]

Thanks

 

[Will Kevans]

Have a look at richard noel on YouTube he is based in France has recently put up videos on Asian hornets, worth a look

thanks that was very helpful very informative bloke and hopefully its not too late for me too get on top of this problem.Its been quite overwhelming as its my first hive and it really feels personal these beasts attacking my bees relentlessly.

 

[RichardK]

I have a bunch of old plastic fizzy drink bottles lying on their side around my hives (either between or behind) containing an arbitrary mixture of beer, black current cordial and either apple juice or white wine. I have a scary number of Asian Hornets with this method. I do think the traps Richard Noel has used are worth looking at, but as this stage in the season something quick and dirty is the order of the day. The pressure on my hives has dropped a lot over the last 5 days.

 

[Will Kevans]

I have a bunch of old plastic fizzy drink bottles lying on their side around my hives (either between or behind) containing an arbitrary mixture of beer, black current cordial and either apple juice or white wine. I have a scary number of Asian Hornets with this method. I do think the traps Richard Noel has used are worth looking at, but as this stage in the season something quick and dirty is the order of the day. The pressure on my hives has dropped a lot over the last 5 days.

As a new bee keeper its difficult for me to gauge how much damage these pests have done to my colony. Should I open the hive and check them? I have already reduced the aperture at the front of the hive, but now the hornets are actually going into the hive.Is there a smaller entrance I can fit that will exclude them?

 

[RichardK]

As a new bee keeper its difficult for me to gauge how much damage these pests have done to my colony. Should I open the hive and check them? I have already reduced the aperture at the front of the hive, but now the hornets are actually going into the hive. Is there a smaller entrance I can fit that will exclude them?

I'm also a first year bee keeper, so I'm kind of working it out as I go along.

I see you have Dadant hives like me. Do you have the plastic Nicot bases? If you do, you can buy a green entrance reducer which is "anti-frelon" - you local bee shop will stock them. All online sources (e.g apiculture.net) have them too. The gap is in theory not high enough for an Asian Hornet to get through - I say in theory as I saw a video a couple of weeks ago which illustrated than some hornet can still pass. Personally I haven't experienced that. If you have some tools you can also knock them up yourself - the height of the entrance is set to 5.5/6mm from a quick measure with whatever length you'd like - mine are around 10cm.

As to whether you take a look it's a temperature thing really. Looking at a weather forecast for your way, you could take a quick peek tomorrow - not a full inspection, just take the lid off and take a look.

How many hornets are going in at any one time do you think?

 

[Will Kevans]

I'm also a first year bee keeper, so I'm kind of working it out as I go along.

I see you have Dadant hives like me. Do you have the plastic Nicot bases? If you do, you can buy a green entrance reducer which is "anti-frelon" - you local bee shop will stock them. All online sources (e.g apiculture.net) have them too. The gap is in theory not high enough for an Asian Hornet to get through - I say in theory as I saw a video a couple of weeks ago which illustrated than some hornet can still pass. Personally I haven't experienced that. If you have some tools you can also knock them up yourself - the height of the entrance is set to 5.5/6mm from a quick measure with whatever length you'd like - mine are around 10cm.

As to whether you take a look it's a temperature thing really. Looking at a weather forecast for your way, you could take a quick peek tomorrow - not a full inspection, just take the lid off and take a look.

How many hornets are going in at any one time do you think?

I've seen one at a time go in, the bees used to stand on the front board defending and even saw them eject a dead one. I worry because I'm not outside the hive 24/7 so if I've seen it a few times when I visit the hive, I dread to think how many times they actually get in the hive!I dont have a plastic nicot base just a wooden one with a zinc plate with small arches cut in it. Id always assumed this to be hornet proof...but it seems not.

 

[RichardK]

I've seen one at a time go in, the bees used to stand on the front board defending and even saw them eject a dead one. I worry because I'm not outside the hive 24/7 so if I've seen it a few times when I visit the hive, I dread to think how many times they actually get in the hive!I dont have a plastic nicot base just a wooden one with a zinc plate with small arches cut in it. Id always assumed this to be hornet proof...but it seems not.

I've seen the same thing myself a few times so I suspect all is fine. Changing the entrance should be a priority though as the zinc one isn't doing anything against the hornets.

 

[user 819]

Richard and Will looks like you have your work cut out and wish you and your bees well with your endeavours, we as yet over in the UK aren't at that crossroads yet so keep up the good posts so that we might also be able to learn from you.

 

[Will Kevans]

I've seen the same thing myself a few times so I suspect all is fine. Changing the entrance should be a priority though as the zinc one isn't doing anything against the hornets.

I fitted a sliding plastic gate that reduces the aperture size of the zinc plate openings. I made it from a transparent takeaway box lid and it slides between the hive face and the zinc entrance plate.Ive taken it down to about 5 mm hopefully this will stop hornets gaining access.Ill take a photo of it tomorrow and post it.I also replaced my top syrup feeder with a candy board and lagged the top of the hive with an old wool jumper. Hopefully the polystyrene lagging and this will keep them toasty over the winter. We had the first frosts today and its getting a bit nippy.