Asian Hornets

[John stockburn]

Paul Harper has put several posts on Facebook over the last year or so about Asian Hornets. I recall one where he was kicking himself for not doing more trapping, and was dealing with the awful consequences. Well, there was a new post a day or so ago, a completely different vibe. He is using the Jabeprobe trap, and it appears to be a game changer. The Asian hornets are trapped, anything smaller can escape, European hornets can't get in. The trap is in place all year round. We all need to be setting up traps like these, the sooner the better.

https://www.jabeprode.fr/en/boutiqu...capture-tray-standard-size-mounted-53289#more

Sod the kids glove approach ,..poisen those Asian hornets while it is still do-able or are we going to keep hiding behind what if and what about so and so , too little too late should be the motto of every English man

 

[Karol]

Paul Harper has put several posts on Facebook over the last year or so about Asian Hornets. I recall one where he was kicking himself for not doing more trapping, and was dealing with the awful consequences. Well, there was a new post a day or so ago, a completely different vibe. He is using the Jabeprobe trap, and it appears to be a game changer. The Asian hornets are trapped, anything smaller can escape, European hornets can't get in. The trap is in place all year round. We all need to be setting up traps like these, the sooner the better.

https://www.jabeprode.fr/en/boutiqu...capture-tray-standard-size-mounted-53289#more

Hmmm. I'd be wary of any claims that it's a game changer. If Vespa crabro can't enter it means that Vespa velutina queens can't enter so the trap only targets velutina workers. Upshot being that velutina queens survive propagating the species meanwhile beekeepers are hood winked into thinking it's making a difference when the truth is quite the opposite. It makes no commercial sense for a trap manufacturer to eradicate their intended target species.

As someone who has globally patented a sophisticated wasp trap and had a jump start to create a velutina trap, I declined that opportunity because I know it to be the wrong strategy.

 

[John stockburn]

Hmmm. I'd be wary of any claims that it's a game changer. If Vespa crabro can't enter it means that Vespa velutina queens can't enter so the trap only targets velutina workers. Upshot being that velutina queens survive propagating the species meanwhile beekeepers are hood winked into thinking it's making a difference when the truth is quite the opposite. It makes no commercial sense for a trap manufacturer to eradicate their intended target species.

As someone who has globally patented a sophisticated wasp trap and had a jump start to create a velutina trap, I declined that opportunity because I know it to be the wrong strategy.

Reminds me of pharmaceutical companies , offer a relief but but not as much profit in a cure

 

[Karol]

Reminds me of pharmaceutical companies , offer a relief but but not as much profit in a cure

Better still, encourage infectious individuals to go to work so even more people get to sip lemon.

 

[rolande]

If Vespa crabro can't enter it means that Vespa velutina queens can't enter so the trap only targets velutina workers.

A question I asked the other day, possibly on a different thread, and one I imagine you'll be the man to answer here, where would standard wasp queens fall on this scale? I'd estimate them to be on a similar size scale to the hornet workers -although my chance to observe hornet workers has thankfully been very limited to date.

 

[Karol]

A question I asked the other day, possibly on a different thread, and one I imagine you'll be the man to answer here, where would standard wasp queens fall on this scale? I'd estimate them to be on a similar size scale to the hornet workers -although my chance to observe hornet workers has thankfully been very limited to date.

Yes, very little difference in size between velutina workers and vespula/dolichovespula queens.

I regularly get criticized for recommending fipronil custard catch and release as the preferred treatment because of its supposed detrimental environmental impact and yet, traps and baiting as espoused on these forums have far far greater detrimental ecological impact because they don't work and tip the balance in favour of velutina allowing velutina to decimate indigenous fauna. Madness!

 

[Erichalfbee]

A question I asked the other day, possibly on a different thread, and one I imagine you'll be the man to answer here, where would standard wasp queens fall on this scale? I'd estimate them to be on a similar size scale to the hornet workers -although my chance to observe hornet workers has thankfully been very limited to date.

Sorry @rolande
I asked on the UK Bees Wasps and Ants group. There's not much in it was the answer I got

 

[rolande]

Sorry @rolande
I asked on the UK Bees Wasps and Ants group. There's not much in it was the answer I got

Thanks, that was my estimate but as I've not seen a queen wasp since the spring I thought I'd double check my memory!

 

[plain_hunt]

Is that a typo? Between 7 and 14 a week simply doesn't correlate to anything that I've heard to date

Not a typo, I’ve also heard the same as Tony says. It’s just not being publicised.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Not a typo, I’ve also heard the same as Tony says. It’s just not being publicised.

so probably not the truth

 

[JamezF]

so probably not the truth

Quite. A few people seem to be claiming that numbers are being suppressed over the last few weeks, but don't actually appear to be able to come up with any evidence that anyone else can examine, nor give their sources. That's straight out of Conspiracy Theory 101. Bonus points for trying to make it more plausible by claiming that evidence will be provided in due course and then never actually doing so.

James

 

[Tony Warren]

That terrain, the proximity to the ports from France and the fact that this year is a bumper year for AH in Europe, all make for a perfect storm for AH to take advantage.

I hope the NBU's resources are enough to find and eradicate the nests before the sexuals are produced this autumn.

Spring trapping next year for overwintered queens will be a priority for every beekeeper in the area.

You are spot on except that we need more than just beekeepers for the spring trapping, there simply are not enough beekeepers to provide the coverage. We are currently having a large push on the media outlets and posters and flyers across Kent and to large corporations, eg highways agency to increase public awareness.
Latest NBU report is 48 nests in 40 locations, across all of Kent, the south coat and now the east coast up to Hull, it's running at about 1 nest a day.

 

[Vanterrier]

We're all doomed!!!
https://bpca.org.uk/news-and-blog/asian-hornet-sighting-in-northumberland--bpca
Don't eat Cauli's!
K

 

[JamezF]

We're all doomed!!!
https://bpca.org.uk/news-and-blog/asian-hornet-sighting-in-northumberland--bpca
Don't eat Cauli's!
K

Bit late for that now given that it happened in April.

James

 

[Vanterrier]

Its never too late to stop eating Cauli's
Aye it was a while ago but just shows how far these things can be carried...
K

 

[North End Bees]

Its never too late to stop eating Cauli's
Aye it was a while ago but just shows how far these things can be carried...
K

Yes, all the way from Asia

 

[hemo]

So to prevent hawking in front of the colonies we need a barrier , JBK mentions tall grass/ nettles etc, one could also I suppose stick a load of bamboo canes dotted about in front of the hives to break up the free flight area in front to make it less appealing for V.v to hawk.
We will at some stage need more multi practices to try and deter them some traps may help as does the targetted custard method .
Traps in themselve's aren't overly cheap esp the JabeproDe one where one will need the extra cost of the stackable boxes etc.ect on top of the device it self.

I see the hanging Gard apis design uses a dadant QX for the main body of the trap and the end cones use two sizes of entry for V.v , a red entry cap for V.v Queens which omits V.c Queens then they state 6- 8 weeks after the V.v queens have emerged to replace the Red cap with the smaller second cap supplied to only allow V.v workers in.
Other smaller insects can escape thru the QX.

It is probably now th etime to think ahead proper and be a little more prepared esp beeks from the south east counties and london area.

 

[Karol]

You are spot on except that we need more than just beekeepers for the spring trapping, there simply are not enough beekeepers to provide the coverage. We are currently having a large push on the media outlets and posters and flyers across Kent and to large corporations, eg highways agency to increase public awareness.
Latest NBU report is 48 nests in 40 locations, across all of Kent, the south coat and now the east coast up to Hull, it's running at about 1 nest a day.

Goodness! Spring trapping by all and sundry. Sounds like a sales plug to sell zillions of traps to me.

Reminds me a bit of the story/rumour of a pest controller specializing in bed bug treatments releasing thousands of bed bugs on the tube to bump up business.

The last thing we need is spring trapping. The NBU are doing a fantastic job and they need all the mature and considered support beekeepers can give them. It's premature to conflate this present incursion probably due to queens from Brittany carried on the Spring winds with velutina establishing itself in the UK.

The survival rate for queens is low and I would suggest that the detection rate for velutina is far higher than people make out simply because velutina needs a high prey intake for its nests to mature and hives are the only really concentrated source of insect prey available to velutina. Let the NBU do its excellent work and see where we are next year. 40 nests is not a high number given the number of queens being produced in Brittany will be in the many millions (for lack of an effective eradication programme).

 

[North End Bees]

You are spot on except that we need more than just beekeepers for the spring trapping, there simply are not enough beekeepers to provide the coverage.

Spring trapping by the general public? You can imagine the effect on local pollinators by haphazard uncoordinated trapping.

Yes, push education out across the general public in terms of being vigilant, recognising the AH and reporting it but trapping across the county can be covered by beekeepers.

Our BKA has over 800 members, all of whom have been encouraged over recent years to promote awareness in their own work/social circles. This includes awareness of how AH impacts society as a whole, e.g farmers, gardeners, public recreation, etc.

All members regularly receive updates and links to resources to help promote public awareness. The Division AH teams make sure that traps in their own locality are covered by their own beekeepers.

 

[North End Bees]

So to prevent hawking in front of the colonies we need a barrier , JBK mentions tall grass/ nettles etc, one could also I suppose stick a load of bamboo canes dotted about in front of the hives to break up the free area in front.

There's a lot of information about how to protect your own hives in the second part of Andrew Durham's AH Briefing.
Definitely worth watching.

https://www.youtube.com/live/9SNvrq7oNBY?si=cLWnQNuHh78QyQDL