Serious bee issue

[samlf]

Hi I have a big flying insect problem.

I have horses and on Monday night after returning from a ride there were a large number of big aggressive flying insects.

We thought they were hornets due to the aggression but now not so sure.

They are larger than a bumble bee, not necessarily longer but big a fat like a bumble bee. They are brownish in colour although may be striped, it is hard to say. They do not sting much, but have stung a couple of times. They do not make much of a buzzing sound at all, very faint if you listen very hard.

They appear to have made a nest either in the tree behind the horses shelter or under the ground - I haven't looked.

They fly at your face, and do the same to the horses. They chase. They come out at 9pm at night, not at all during the day.

There are quite a few of them.

I have rung local beekeeping groups and they have no idea. I have rung council and pest control but they have no idea, and wont touch them if they are bees as they are protected. As they come out at 9pm I would have to pay out of hours charge for someone to come out.

Please if you have any suggestions please let me know.

 

[Luminos]

There is a species of horsefly here that is very large and might be mistaken for a hornet, however, I've no idea if they are in southern England I'm afraid.
I use flysheets and flymasks on my horses and donkeys.

 

[Meg]

Sounds like the European Hornet that flies at night. Worth looking for the paper nest that will be hanging somewhere then calling in pest control to get rid of it. You don't want to react badly to stings yourself or endanger your horse, so worth the cost once identified.

To get a photo, try stting up a light to one side as a distraction and so that you know where they are.

Best of luck.

Meg

 

[BDCS]

Where in Kent are you ? if your not too far from me I'll come and look as I keep bees but also a pestie at times

 

[Beauhawk]

Ditto the above post if Tonbridge, Tunny Wells or East of Maidstone.

 

[samlf]

thankyou for your replies. I really don't think they are horseflies but to be honest I just run in the other direction lol.

I did wonder about the European hornet but I have had a thorough look around the shelter but cant get to the back/where the tree is without being trapped and no way am I going there!

BDCS thankyou for your kind offer, if your location is correct then we are in the same town (Dover).

 

[BDCS]

ring me on 0797 453 7697

 

[Excession]

Jolly good show that man.

I know you didn't offer for praise, but hats off to you sir, top draw!

 

[drstitson]

Could it be that swarm of apis dorsata that MM lost after his indian holiday?

 

[enrico]

Jolly good show that man.

I know you didn't offer for praise, but hats off to you sir, top draw!

Hear hear

 

[TOBY-3652]

. I have rung council and pest control but they have no idea, and wont touch them if they are bees as they are protected.


no wrong advice... they are not protected no bees in the uk are protected

 

[nikca]

Sounds like the European Hornet that flies at night.

Meg

I'm not aware that the European Hornet (Vespa crabo) has a night-fighter section - but it DOES sound like another nocturnal aviator the Lancaster Bomber. The OP said they were very quiet. The Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina) is far quieter, but as there are still no confirmed sightings in the UK this has to be put in the "unlikely" file...

I seriously doubt that these are hornets - people don't say of a hornet "there is no sting as such", they do say "that's a massive wasp..."

Could be a horse fly - some of the big ones we have over here HURT. One had my leg off...

Well... it grew back...

More worrying is that someone joins the Beekeeping Forum and posts this as a "serious bee issue", when it would be more accurate to say "nothing to do with bees at all... not even slightly".

 

[VEG]

Please let us know what they are with some pis if possible

 

[BeeJayBee]

The Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina) is far quieter, but as there are still no confirmed sightings in the UK this has to be put in the "unlikely" file....

I hope it is unlikely, but maybe samlf could check the information about the Asian Hornet, just in case https://secure.fera.defra.gov.uk/nonnativespecies/alerts/index.cfm?id=4

It's only a matter of time before one either hitches a ride or gets blown across The Channel. Vita are saying these hornets have reached Northern Italy http://www.vita-europe.com/blog/asian-hornet-reaches-italy/.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Please let us know what they are with some pis if possible

Bit early for cockchafers?

 

[BeeJayBee]

Probably not, they were flying in May.

 

[VEG]

Bit early for cockchafers?

Ehhh?

 

[Hivemaker.]

Please let us know what they are with some pis if possible

Bit early for cockchafers?

Ehhh?

....

 

[VEG]

....

there you go "c" the missing letter I blame the wine lol

 

[Chris Luck]

I'm not aware that the European Hornet (Vespa crabo) has a night-fighter section - but it DOES sound like another nocturnal aviator the Lancaster Bomber. The OP said they were very quiet. The Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina) is far quieter, but as there are still no confirmed sightings in the UK this has to be put in the "unlikely" file...

I seriously doubt that these are hornets - people don't say of a hornet "there is no sting as such", they do say "that's a massive wasp..."

Could be a horse fly - some of the big ones we have over here HURT. One had my leg off...

Well... it grew back...

More worrying is that someone joins the Beekeeping Forum and posts this as a "serious bee issue", when it would be more accurate to say "nothing to do with bees at all... not even slightly".

I think you've got that the wrong way round, the European Hornet does fly at night and the Asian Hornet doesn't.

This is a possibility, they can be quite scary because they make a laud buzzing, fly in numbers and tend to bump people.

http://www.uksafari.com/summerchafers.htm

Chris