Latest from Defra on YLH

[Penninetrader]

I have read all the replies and imo it will ultimately be in our hands to solve a problem that is surely coming our way. Depending on any gov organisation is a fatal mistake. I will continue to learn as much as I can from those who have failed but learned and those who have had success.What is the capacity of Defra in terms of numbers of nests and timely intervention. Educating the public in a strategic way is imo critical, early spotting identification and location of nests will be the key to control.

 

[polomadh]

Indeed.
This is why we need to work with and support the BBKAs efforts in this area. They ran an Asian Hornet week, a couple of weeks ago which encouraged everyone to increase awareness and put out monitoring stations. The BBKA website has some great resources available to all. Letter templates for local groups such as allotment groups and parish councils, letters to MPs etc and identification posters.
They have organised the Andrew Durham webinars, and created a tool to coordinate and record monitoring.
These things have resulted in incursions being reported and actions being taken.
What associations and branches must do is to get organised so that all BKs are aware of these resources, and motivate all BKs to participate. If we, as guardians of a sentinel species, can create a level of awareness so that AHs are reported early by everyone, I think we do stand a chance of holding it at bay until we have developed sophisticated protocols for any incursions.
We have learnt lessons from what has happened in France and I think so far we have been lucky and have had the time to correct the approach as we have gone along.
This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, and it may be that in the very long term destruction of AH may be passed over to the UKs pest control community. In the meantime I would ask everyone to get on board with the BBKA on this.
I believe next monitoring event will be in the late spring, and it would be amazing to have every BK and nature watcher in the country to take some time out during that week to specifically look for AH and increase awarenss around the country.
Oh and perhaps we should all adopt the name Yellow Legged Hornet instead of AH to help with its identification by the general public

 

[BeeKeyPlayer]

perhaps we should all adopt the name Yellow Legged Hornet instead of AH to help with its identification by the general public

YLH

 

[Erichalfbee]

I shall make a start after lunch

 

[Penninetrader]

Indeed.
This is why we need to work with and support the BBKAs efforts in this area. They ran an Asian Hornet week, a couple of weeks ago which encouraged everyone to increase awareness and put out monitoring stations. The BBKA website has some great resources available to all. Letter templates for local groups such as allotment groups and parish councils, letters to MPs etc and identification posters.
They have organised the Andrew Durham webinars, and created a tool to coordinate and record monitoring.
These things have resulted in incursions being reported and actions being taken.
What associations and branches must do is to get organised so that all BKs are aware of these resources, and motivate all BKs to participate. If we, as guardians of a sentinel species, can create a level of awareness so that AHs are reported early by everyone, I think we do stand a chance of holding it at bay until we have developed sophisticated protocols for any incursions.
We have learnt lessons from what has happened in France and I think so far we have been lucky and have had the time to correct the approach as we have gone along.
This is going to be a marathon, not a sprint, and it may be that in the very long term destruction of AH may be passed over to the UKs pest control community. In the meantime I would ask everyone to get on board with the BBKA on this.
I believe next monitoring event will be in the late spring, and it would be amazing to have every BK and nature watcher in the country to take some time out during that week to specifically look for AH and increase awarenss around the country.
Oh and perhaps we should all adopt the name Yellow Legged Hornet instead of AH to help with its identification by the general public

The Yellow legged Hornet idea is spot on.It is all about publicity and marketing in a consumer friendly way, good post and very informative

 

[Mint Bee]

The Yellow legged Hornet idea is spot on.It is all about publicity and marketing in a consumer friendly way, good post and very informative

mmm. try getting the media on board with that. Cant but help thinking that the right wing press will continue with 'Asian' to appeal to their gammon readership

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think the Scottish BA has gone over to calling it the YLH. I’m sure I read that in one of their emails.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think we're halfway house at the moment - with many calling it the Yellow Legged Asian hornet!!

 

[Penninetrader]

Yellow Legged Asian hornet!!, that works. Maybe even more so. Walking groups, dog walkers, foragers. There are many groups that could be enlisted. I don't think the MSM right or left are much use in educating. A clear message, which has not happened as yet, would eliminate a lot of misfires in regards reporting. We each can do our bit, it is after all in our own interest.

 

[Sutty]

God help the wood wasps!

 

[Penninetrader]

God help the wood wasps!

Not having a broad ring yellow stripe bum should save em. This is where education comes in and you have just done that

 

[polomadh]

There will be some crossover as a lot of printed material is AH, it might be a while till all this gets replaced.
I’m not ensure that YLHAT rolls off the younger as well as AHAT, lol

 

[rolande]

@Sutty has made an important point. Depending on angle/sightline things aren't always that clear



Meanwhile there are a lot of insects out there which always show yellow legs no matter how you look at them*



With so much layperson confusion we best expect total chaos if/when one or more of the other AH types reach Europe.

Maybe yellow socked hornet is a more apt, less confusing description. Or perhaps 'Asian hornet' really is sufficient.

*The bold is a result of placing text between photos (I think).

 

[fian]

@Sutty has made an important point. Depending on angle/sightline things aren't always that clear
View attachment 41339View attachment 41340


Meanwhile there are a lot of insects out there which always show yellow legs no matter how you look at them*

View attachment 41342

With so much layperson confusion we best expect total chaos if/when one or more of the other AH types reach Europe.

Maybe yellow socked hornet is a more apt, less confusing description. Or perhaps 'Asian hornet' really is sufficient.

*The bold is a result of placing text between photos (I think).

It lacks practical sense to highlight a characteristic that is difficult to appreciate. I think it would be much more useful to look at what stands out at first glance in its black and orange colors.

 

[Swarm]

At least the word 'Asian' implies it is foreign and an invasive species. 'Yellow Legged' could simply be another type of Hornet.

 

[madasafish]

Not having a broad ring yellow stripe bum should save em. This is where education comes in and you have just done that

I now people who have simple coloring explained so they can differentiate wasps from bees - wasps have yellow tails - and still fail to do so.
SO expecting more than 10% of the population to recognise a YLH from a European Hornet or a Wood Wasp is optimistic to say the least..

 

[pargyle]

Down here in the front line I think a lot of work has been done educating those people that are likely to come into contact with the AH .. posters with a clear picture of what it looks like have been put up in places like allotments and public notice boards in places that attract nature lovers. Our local community hall has a poster up and they have lots of groups of people that meet there. I did an event at our local model farm in the summer and I was astounded at the number of people (and children) who enquired about the AH so, I think, in some areas the message is getting through.

But, as beekeepers, we have a collective responsibility to let the public know .. if you have access to a colour printer then a poster is available here:

https://www.nonnativespecies.org/assets/Alert_poster_Vespa_velutina_A4-1.pdf

I'm a bit disappointed that our national association don't appear to have spent a few quid having thousands of these posters printed and sent them out with the usual monthly comic for every member to find somewhere to site at least one and perhaps request a few more for the cost of postage - particularly in the areas that are most at risk. Not everyone has a colour printer. but printing in quantity is relatively cheap in large quantities and there should be posters everywhere. I'll be having word with our AH Coordinator next time I see him.

 

[OldFarm]

@Sutty has made an important point. Depending on angle/sightline things aren't always that clear
View attachment 41339View attachment 41340


Meanwhile there are a lot of insects out there which always show yellow legs no matter how you look at them*

View attachment 41342

With so much layperson confusion we best expect total chaos if/when one or more of the other AH types reach Europe.

Maybe yellow socked hornet is a more apt, less confusing description. Or perhaps 'Asian hornet' really is sufficient.

*The bold is a result of placing text between photos (I think).

I think you'll find that Vespa Orientalis is already in Europe

 

[rolande]

I think you'll find that Vespa Orientalis is already in Europe

Yes, that's right, but I'm at a loss as to what that has to do with my post.

Edit: I now get the connection, however I was actually referring to velutina subspecies.

 

[haisebees]

Hello, I live in Normandy and we have been contending with these creatures for the last few years. I first noticed them being a problem with my bees about 4 years ago and the problem quickly worsened such that I lost three hives a couple of years ago. Last year I surrounded my hives with chicken wire mesh which slowed down the asian hornets but did not seem to bother the bees. However I was virtually unable to inspect for a period during September due to their presence. And, just as the leaves fell from the trees, two nests were found nearby.....about 300 and 700 metres away. The local mairie had them destroyed. This year I put out many traps in spring and caught what I think were several queens and I have seen very few others during the whole season, I have no way of knowing if the dramatic reduction is as a result of my actions in Spring but I will certainly repeat the process next year. Generally people around here know what hornets look like but some are a bit woolly about the difference between asian and european. The local mairies only destroy the asian nests not the europeans, unless the nest is causing fa lot of problems like in a school yard. I really think that a lot could be done with a concerted effort regarding education and spring trapping. There is of couse the question ot trapping other species and I dont have an answer for that.