Hornets

Possible reasons for winter losses!🐝

apiarymanager Bee Health, Feeding Bees and Starvation, Foul Brood Diseases, Hornets, Neonicotinoids, Nosema, PBKA, Pests, Varroa

We have had reports of significant Honey Bee losses this winter. This can be for a variety of reasons including starvation, queen failure, undiagnosed/untreated disease, mite infestation, pesticides and of course, inclement weather.

Beekeepers may find the attached from the NBU of interest and perhaps act as a timely reminder to keep their eye on the ball with such risks as Varroa and Nosema for example, which have faded into the background somewhat, with the looming threat of the Yellow Legged Hornet!

Asian Hornet Update – 5th November 2025

apiarymanager Hornets, PBKA

Hi again everyone,

I urge you to visit the British Beekeepers Association site. Inside you will find many videos helpful to your beekeeping and very clear video of Asian hornets.

The most recent one I saw showed two Asian hornets and a domestic version feeding at the same bait station. The difference between them is obvious.

Pop the Asian Hornet app (link available on BBKA webpage above) on to your phone and ‘what3words’.

I have just seen a private video of the Asian Hornet on ivy berries in the Liverpool area! I am sure the beasts will be here before we know it.

Keep those traps out, spread the word and let’s do our best to delay the invasion.

Peter Kirkup

PBKA Asian Hornet Coordinator

Asian Hornet update!🐝

apiarymanager Hornets, PBKA, Pests
Hi all, we have put our bees to bed and made sure they have plenty of stores. For the moment we can relax.

I ask, that you think about the Yellow Legged Hornet. Any males should by now have perished. Female hornets would still be active. Watch out for nests as the leaves fall from trees and the hedges get thinner. Non lethal traps are worth keeping out where you can see them everyday. If we learn to prepare now we stand a better chance of managing the Inevitable invasion of hornets in the future. This year, more nests than ever have been discovered.

Please remain vigilant.

Peter Kirkup – PBKA Asian Hornet Co-ordinator

Asian Hornet webinar Thursday 9th October, 7.30pm with Andrew Durham

apiarymanager Bee Health, Hornets, WBKA

Please see the details below of our next webinar on Thursday 9th October, 7.30pm with Andrew Durham. As usual this webinar is open to every one and free to attend. As the Asian Hornet gets ever closer to us, this webinar is well worth listening to.

The Asian Hornet with Andrew Durham
Thursday October 9, 2025 7:30 PM 
 

Register now!

As the hornet continues to make ground on the continent and is threatening to get established in mainland UK, this is an important and timely contribution to a debate that beekeepers are going to have to have before the NBU withdraws from the front-line battle to eradicate the hornet.
Calling on the evidence that he presented in his recent book, Andrew Durham puts forward the argument that nest destruction schemes have proved to be “a dangerous delusion”, promoted by scientists but ultimately failing to make any impact on the hornet’s expansion and, more often than not, coming too late to protect biodiversity or to help beekeepers in the apiary.
He presents the argument that the spring trapping of foundress queens, something previously discouraged by scientists, offers much more potential to protect our biodiversity and is more effective at reducing predation levels in the apiary.
Andrew outlines what the beekeeper needs to do to best protect their bees and looks at defence against the hornet in and around the apiary.

Andrew Durham is a Cambridgeshire beekeeper who started his research into the Asian Hornet (a.k.a. Yellow-legged Hornet – Vespa velutina) in 2014, travelling around France and researching the impact of the hornet on French beekeeping. He has written regularly for the BBKA News and given talks in BBKA Asian Hornet Weeks/Conferences. His book “Asian Hornet – The Beekeeper’s Guide to Defences against the Yellow Legged Hornet Vespa Velutina” was published by Northern Bee Books in April 2025 and is widely available on a number of bookselling websites including Amazon.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

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Asian Hornet Coordinator Report

apiarymanager Hornets, PBKA, Pests

A brief comment on the Asian Hornet or Yellow Legged Hornet, it seems the new term is preferred, in June, Kent and East Sussex provided the only confirmed reports. PLEASE DO NOT try to deal with a nest if you find one, REPORT IT. https://risc.brc.ac.uk/alert.php?species=asian_hornet

Let’s talk about… WASPS, that time of year is upon us, time to reduce the entrance gap to one bee space. I am reluctant to kill wasps, they have their role to play in nature, perhaps my observations and ideas will be helpful to you when you inevitably face a wasp invasion. Putting out wasp traps I abandoned long ago, they cause the demise of wasps and other insects, even worse, the wasps that escape seem to tell other wasps they found a sweet drink and more start appearing. It is likely a wasp nest is near by, to find it can be tricky. Wasps are easy to catch so you can glue a bit of foil to one, release it and see where it goes. This year, if I get a problem (shouldn’t do as hives are big and strong) I will offer the wasps a sweet liquid treat away from my hives, they might choose the easy option and not harass my colonies. What do you think, do you have other solutions? If my attempt fails I plan to adopt a biological weapon, watch this YouTube video to see how organised wasps can be and what secret defense you can employ. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9RfjS6rVoE&t=216s&pp=2AHYAZACAcoFFEFjcm9iYXRpY3MgbWluaXNjdWx

Peter Kirkup

PBKA Asian Hornet Coordinator