Latest from Defra on AH

[Erichalfbee]

Southampton.

 

[pargyle]

Southampton.

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Yes .. we heard they had found one .. bit too close for comfort but hardly surprising with the amount of sea traffic between Southampton and France and the Channel Islands.

 

[Penninetrader]

The size of that implies a large number of Queens on the breed

 

[Penninetrader]

The size of that implies a large number of Queens on the breed

Extreminated or otherwise I would not be without veil

 

[Penninetrader]

Yes .. we heard they had found one .. bit too close for comfort but hardly surprising with the amount of sea traffic between Southampton and France and the Channel Islands.

Do we belive DEFRA are up to the task if this expands as in France ?

 

[pargyle]

Do we belive DEFRA are up to the task if this expands as in France ?

WELL .. By all accounts France didn't do a lot .. at least here there is Asian Hornet Watch and lots of us in the front line who know what to look out for. DEFRA do react quickly to any sightings and I believe this nest was the result of a sighting. We are clearly worried down here on the South Coast as our relatively mild climate - areas of woodland like the new Forest in the proximity of the port and a similar situation (if not worse) with cross channel traffic at Portsmouth is making us very vulnerable. With hundreds of beepers in a 10 mile radius there is a ready source of bees for them.

Fortunately, there are lots of us monitoring for the Asian hornet and the public in this part of the world are becoming very familiar with the potential threat.

 

[Penninetrader]

WELL .. By all accounts France didn't do a lot .. at least here there is Asian Hornet Watch and lots of us in the front line who know what to look out for. DEFRA do react quickly to any sightings and I believe this nest was the result of a sighting. We are clearly worried down here on the South Coast as our relatively mild climate - areas of woodland like the new Forest in the proximity of the port and a similar situation (if not worse) with cross channel traffic at Portsmouth is making us very vulnerable. With hundreds of beepers in a 10 mile radius there is a ready source of bees for them.

Fortunately, there are lots of us monitoring for the Asian hornet and the public in this part of the world are becoming very familiar with the potential threat.

Do you think it practical or possible in the bigger picture that we become the hunter exterminators. I say this as I do not believe this present or previous gov would scale the finances required to control what is surely coming our way

 

[Sutty]

It remains to be seen whether vv can get established here, my betting would be "yes" for the far south at least, further north hopefully not!

 

[Penninetrader]

It remains to be seen whether vv can get established here, my betting would be "yes" for the far south at least, further north hopefully not!

Southampton is only 5 hours away by truck, we are all at risk

 

[Sutty]

Southampton is only 5 hours away by truck, we are all at risk

Yes, but  hopefully not of establishment.
Time will tell!

 

[pargyle]

Do you think it practical or possible in the bigger picture that we become the hunter exterminators. I say this as I do not believe this present or previous gov would scale the finances required to control what is surely coming our way

Hunters - or at least active observation, in a vicinity, is a pre-requisite of the existing organisation .. exterminators ? From everything I have heard this is a pretty exacting and somewhat dangerous procedure so I'd suggest leaving the nest destruction to those trained and equipped people who know what they are doing.

 

[pargyle]

Yes, but  hopefully not of establishment.
Time will tell!

Yes ..I think the colder and wetter winters further North would, hopefully, detract from them being able to overwinter easily and also become established.

 

[Penninetrader]

Yes ..I think the colder and wetter winters further North would, hopefully, detract from them being able to overwinter easily and also become established.

I do hope you are right

 

[Erichalfbee]

Do you think it practical or possible in the bigger picture that we become the hunter exterminators.

They have in Jersey and very well organised too

 

[rolande]

I do hope you are right

It's nice to hope but I doubt that the north is so inhospitable that they won't be able to establish themselves in time.

 

[madasafish]

It's nice to hope but I doubt that the north is so inhospitable that they won't be able to establish themselves in time.

European hornets are expanding here.. So I suspect Asian would thrive.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

European hornets are expanding here.. So I suspect Asian would thrive.

but they would have to compete with Crabro so it would be an uphill struggle
Which is why we have to discourage the hard of thinking from deploying indiscriminate kill traps

 

[rolande]

but they would have to compete with Crabro so it would be an uphill struggle

Pure speculation on my part but I wonder whether it would really take long for AH to gain a dominant position.

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I'm all in favour of sensible monitoring and educated awareness but that's different to a stand back and watch approach. None of us know how this is all going to work out but we do know that insects are great survivors. I'm sure it's only a year ago that I was reading stuff saying that they couldn't survive a UK winter, never could get my head around that one.

 

[OldFarm]

Pure speculation on my part but I wonder whether it would really take long for AH to gain a dominant position.

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I'm all in favour of sensible monitoring and educated awareness but that's different to a stand back and watch approach. None of us know how this is all going to work out but we do know that insects are great survivors. I'm sure it's only a year ago that I was reading stuff saying that they couldn't survive a UK winter, never could get my head around that one.

We've been fortunate this year. The weather has been bad for our bees, but it's also been bad for AHs. Think it was 72 nests last year, 18 this year so far, sightings in general down. With a drier spring it could have been a very different picture. Thank goodness they found the Southampton nest when they did, no doubt that in a few weeks it would have produced a lot of queens.

I'd like to see work done around Andrew Durhams ideas on trojan baiting. If a suitable biocide can be identified and the need to removed exterminated nests overcome, nest destruction could get easier and cheaper. Nest destruction getting cheaper will be important when nest numbers increase - it's not IF, it's WHEN.

The folks in Kent and on the south coast have their eye on the ball, but the further away from the front line you get the greater the apathy.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Andrew Durhams ideas on trojan baiting

hmm - I think that concept has been around for quite a few years, and used successfully elsewhere