Possible Asian Hornet Spotted East Sussex

[GaryB]

Sitting this afternoon watching the bees in and out of the hive. Quick darting movement caught my eye. What appeared to be an Asian hornet briefly "hawked" the front of the hive, then landed on the hive roof. Before I could get up to take a closer look it took off onto a back wall, and then disappeared. Was definately not the European hornet as had distinct dark body with a stripe of orange, and from the distance I was at looked like orange feet. Will report it to the NNSS even though siting was very brief, and not a definative identification. It has not re-appeared again this afternoon yet. Will monitor hive closely for the next few days whilst the weather holds. Heads up folks!

 

[MuswellMetro]

Sitting this afternoon watching the bees in and out of the hive. Quick darting movement caught my eye. What appeared to be an Asian hornet briefly "hawked" the front of the hive, then landed on the hive roof. Before I could get up to take a closer look it took off onto a back wall, and then disappeared. Was definately not the European hornet as had distinct dark body with a stripe of orange, and from the distance I was at looked like orange feet. Will report it to the NNSS even though siting was very brief, and not a definative identification. It has not re-appeared again this afternoon yet. Will monitor hive closely for the next few days whilst the weather holds. Heads up folks!

There is a darker sub species of the european hornet around london Vespa crabro vexator (harris 1776) and we have it in a small area around south mimms,/High Barnet north london. it has caused two scares of a Vespa veluntia which ended up in samples being sent to the NBU because some have dark legs and lower tergite black

 

[masterBK]

There is also the possibility that what you saw was a queen median wasp which superficially looks similar ro asiatic hornet worker

 

[Mr C]

It has a black strip

 

[GaryB]

Hope that might be the case, however, this was very black, and median wasps have much more yellow colouration. It also "hawked" very much like a hornet does. Will still be keeping an eye out for any further visitations, now that it knows where my hive is.

 

[colinc]

Hive checks

Checked the colony today. Our original queen still doing well laying well and the colony are bringing in plenty. The prime swarm from early July we lost and recovered (it's our first year) is mating laying. Well pattern is as good as the Buckfast mum. And the cast swarm from 6 days later (didn't expect and didn't have the kit to split, it arrived after the cast, has a queen. Found her today she is good and fat so hopefully will lay imminently. Need some increase to overwinter but they are really well provisioned for brood now.

Learning from mistakes I hope not to make again and all seems well.

We are happy beekeeper for now ;-)

 

[BeeJayBee]

Checked the colony today. Our original queen still doing well laying well and the colony are bringing in plenty. The prime swarm from early July we lost and recovered (it's our first year) is mating laying. Well pattern is as good as the Buckfast mum. And the cast swarm from 6 days later (didn't expect and didn't have the kit to split, it arrived after the cast, has a queen. Found her today she is good and fat so hopefully will lay imminently. Need some increase to overwinter but they are really well provisioned for brood now.

Learning from mistakes I hope not to make again and all seems well.

We are happy beekeeper for now ;-)

I think you may have added your post to the wrong thread Colin. Even so, it's good to hear of a happy beekeeper