Asian Hornets

[jenkinsbrynmair]

If the Asian hornet settles in the United Kingdom in the same way as in Galicia, forget about garden/backyard beekeeping.

Have to resort to armchair beekeeping - any pointers/advice?

 

[fian]

I must admit that I had a sharp intake of breath when I read that. In the height of summer I'd have thought you'd need a pretty fierce rate of predation to lose ten hives before you could do anything about it and that you'd notice something seriously amiss in time even if you were only inspecting every other week.

James

The problem with the Asian hornet is that it patrols the entrance to the apiary trying to catch the forage bees that arrive loaded. With more than 10 hornets hanging around the entrance to an apiary, the external activity of the bee hive slows down/paralyzes. Without the entry of provisions, the only option for survival of the nest is the inhibition of laying and entry into a "winter regime."

 

[fian]

Have to resort to armchair beekeeping - any pointers/advice?

I recommend that you read more, so you can distinguish between a conditional and an affirmation. By the way, I did not advance in a previous comment that you preferred to ignore me?

 

[Erichalfbee]

If the Asian hornet settles in the United Kingdom in the same way as in Galicia, forget about garden/backyard beekeeping.

Are there no hobby beekeepers in Galicia?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Are there no hobby beekeepers in Galicia?

or just bee farmers with over fifty hives?

 

[fian]

Are there no hobby beekeepers in Galicia?

It depends on what you mean by hobby beekeeper.
The legislation establishes three types of hive ownership:
- Self-consumption with less than 15 hives. The commercialization of honey is not allowed.
-Not professional with less than 150 hives. The marketing of honey is allowed (there is a maximum) and minimum facilities are required.
-Professional above 150 hives.
Now, regardless of the number, all beekeeping operations must meet three minimum criteria:
-Your official record.
-An annual treatment against varroa is mandatory and certified by the nearest official veterinarian with one of the prescribed and approved products.
-The distances to homes, traffic routes and other farms.

 

[fian]

or just bee farmers with over fifty hives?

Official data for April 2022 (closing of the census)
4,932 farms
218,730 hives.
It represents an average of 44 hives per beekeeping operation.

 

[Karol]

Official data for April 2022 (closing of the census)
4,932 farms
218,730 hives.
It represents an average of 44 hives per beekeeping operation.

Sounds like beekeeping in Galicia has been completely decimated.

 

[fian]

Sounds like beekeeping in Galicia has been completely decimated.

I have not said that it has been decimated but that it has concentrated on farms with a greater number of hives (professionalized).
In 2008 there were 91,559 hives in 3,437 farms. In 15 years it has increased by 1,500 farms with 130,000 more hives. It is difficult to maintain a hobby if there is no compensation for the expense (either your own honey or the income from its sale).

 

[Karol]

I have not said that it has been decimated but that it has concentrated on farms with a greater number of hives (professionalized).
In 2008 there were 91,559 hives in 3,437 farms. In 15 years it has increased by 1,500 farms with 130,000 more hives. It is difficult to maintain a hobby if there is no compensation for the expense (either your own honey or the income from its sale).

I think you missed the irony in my comment.

 

[fian]

I think you missed the irony in my comment.

I have captured the ironic tone perfectly but since I am not a troll or a holigan I have decided to give more information, so you can reinforce your arguments.

 

[Karol]

I have captured the ironic tone perfectly but since I am not a troll or a holigan I have decided to give more information, so you can reinforce your arguments.

I believe this is your exact quote: "If the Asian hornet settles in the United Kingdom in the same way as in Galicia, forget about garden/backyard beekeeping" and yet beekeeping has flourished in Galicia since the advent of Velutina.

 

[Erichalfbee]

It is difficult to maintain a hobby if there is no compensation for the expense (either your own honey or the income from its sale).

Oh I wish that were so
It's not that difficult ....just costly

 

[fian]

I believe this is your exact quote: "If the Asian hornet settles in the United Kingdom in the same way as in Galicia, forget about garden/backyard beekeeping" and yet beekeeping has flourished in Galicia since the advent of Velutina.

However, he is unaware of all the measures aimed at professionalizing beekeeping (which is the reason for the increase). I already mentioned it on another occasion but in Spain it is not allowed to have beehives in the garden of your house, since the minimum distance from a home or town is 400 m, which can be reduced to 100 m if you erect a fence 2 m high or The homes are on a lower level than the location of the apiary.
Therefore, to the cost of treatment for varroa and preventions for velutina, displacement must be added, as well as the fact that self-consumption farms are generally in the hands of older people, which will tend to go down.

 

[fian]

Oh I wish that were so
It's not that difficult ....just costly

Well now add at least 2 actions a year to your beekeeping work:
1-From February to June the provision of baits to catch the emerging queens.
2-In September the installation of reduced boobies, and the reorganization of the nest in a way that causes a temporary period of cessation of laying. You can also say goodbye to part of the heather crop that you will have to leave behind to increase the winter reserves that will now last from October to March.

 

[Erichalfbee]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001q6201.36 Interview with Seirian Sumner

 

[Tony Warren]

I have been to the apiary and met Simon, I assure you he has done everything possible to protect his colonies. His apiary have more traps set than you can imagine and he has trapped out areas beyond his apiary to determine the flight direction and draw them away. His apiary is inundated with hornets, he has trapped up to 40 in a single day. They are absolutely hammering his hives, it is relentless. The apiary is located 200m from the top of the cliff system which in itself is 500m from the sea. The area is almost completely inaccessable, it has just one footpath through it. There are multiple Asian Hornet nests in the area, you can easily tell this by the number of unique flight trajectories but despite a massive effort by the NBU on the ground and others the nests have not been found. It is most likely that these were from Queens that overwintered in the area rather than blown in or hitchhikers. Further nest finds in Kent have largely been from this location, along the North Downs and up to Rochester, Gravesend and London, and the the west of the line. In 3 or 4 weeks those nests will be releasing Queens, in France they spread at 80km per year.

 

[fian]

I have been to the apiary and met Simon, I assure you he has done everything possible to protect his colonies. His apiary have more traps set than you can imagine and he has trapped out areas beyond his apiary to determine the flight direction and draw them away. His apiary is inundated with hornets, he has trapped up to 40 in a single day. They are absolutely hammering his hives, it is relentless. The apiary is located 200m from the top of the cliff system which in itself is 500m from the sea. The area is almost completely inaccessable, it has just one footpath through it. There are multiple Asian Hornet nests in the area, you can easily tell this by the number of unique flight trajectories but despite a massive effort by the NBU on the ground and others the nests have not been found. It is most likely that these were from Queens that overwintered in the area rather than blown in or hitchhikers. Further nest finds in Kent have largely been from this location, along the North Downs and up to Rochester, Gravesend and London, and the the west of the line. In 3 or 4 weeks those nests will be releasing Queens, in France they spread at 80km per year.

That is very damaging news. Now in this area only palliative measures remain:
-Mass trapping from February. A newly emerged queen from hibernation is one less problem throughout the year.
-Reduction of the entrance (free height of 5mm) and restructuring of the nest causing a pause in laying. Increase in provisions for a longer winter.
-Installation of protectors in front of the gate so that there is a wide gap for them to start the takeoff.
-Installation of a sacrificial hive (not populated) with a honeycomb in a supermarket. Do not put a roof and with a tube and a bottle of water at the top (the velutinas access through the hole in the overcap and ascend to the bottle) being trapped since they do not start the descent.

 

[The Poot]

I have been to the apiary and met Simon, I assure you he has done everything possible to protect his colonies. His apiary have more traps set than you can imagine and he has trapped out areas beyond his apiary to determine the flight direction and draw them away. His apiary is inundated with hornets, he has trapped up to 40 in a single day. They are absolutely hammering his hives, it is relentless. The apiary is located 200m from the top of the cliff system which in itself is 500m from the sea. The area is almost completely inaccessable, it has just one footpath through it. There are multiple Asian Hornet nests in the area, you can easily tell this by the number of unique flight trajectories but despite a massive effort by the NBU on the ground and others the nests have not been found. It is most likely that these were from Queens that overwintered in the area rather than blown in or hitchhikers. Further nest finds in Kent have largely been from this location, along the North Downs and up to Rochester, Gravesend and London, and the the west of the line. In 3 or 4 weeks those nests will be releasing Queens, in France they spread at 80km per year.

If this is so, it puts the first 10 responses in this thread in a shameful light.

 

[plain_hunt]

If the Asian hornet settles in the United Kingdom in the same way as in Galicia, forget about garden/backyard beekeeping.

I think the bigger problem is going to be out apiaries, when you only go there once a week. Once the AH gets settled here, that’s more than long enough to wipe out an apiary. I’m planning on moving at least two colonies back to my garden, so at least I can see what is happening On a daily basis, mind you, that’s not only because of hornets!