Hornets

Wasps and Asian Hornets!

apiarymanager Bee Health, Hornets, PBKA, Pests

Hi fellow beekeepers, bees are going flat out right now so have an extra super ready in case you need it. The wasps are starting to appear now so you should consider reducing the entrance size to your hive. It is also a good time to be on the lookout for the Asian Hornet, remember, it has only one band of yellow on the abdomen, European hornets have the full yellow abdomen like the wasps. If wasps are bothering your hives, here are some possible remedies, move the affected hive to another location, the chances are there is a wasp nest nearby. You could use an underfloor entrance to your hive, or in a desperate solution, seal the entrance to your hive with foam or sponge but fit a length of hose pipe to extend beyond the landing board a few inches, the bees seem to figure it out . Anything is better than losing the hive. Be sure to stock up with syrup to feed towards winter, if the temperature is still above 15 degrees keep the feed topped up, once it goes colder you will need to rely on fondant. Our mild winters mean the bees eat more than they would otherwise so always have fondant ready if stores dwindle. You can insert pencil size pieces of fondant through the entrance rather than risk cooling the hive. (I prepare small sticks of fondant, then freeze them separated from each other, this is the easiest way to top up feed in the winter months).

Peter Kirkup

Asian Hornet Co-ordinator

Asian Hornet update!

apiarymanager Feeding Bees and Starvation, Hornets, PBKA

Hi everyone, just a quick note on our European hornet, these are much bigger than a wasp but they do have a striped yellow and black rear, the thorax (or shoulder area) is brown and their head is yellow. I noticed an increase in sightings of the hornet in 2023. This year I am seeing more of them. I asked a pest control officer in our area about his sightings, he also believes numbers have risen. I spilled some bee feed at the entrance to one of my hives, every evening a hornet arrives, licks the landing board and leaves. It shows no interest in the bees nor to enter the hive. The bees do not attack it either, is this an uneasy truce?. Try not to spill feed on or in your hive, take the wax frame scrapings away from your apiary, you do not want to attract wasps I am sure. With the blackberry in flower the honey should start building. Our warm autumn and mild winter means you need to feed more or leave more stores in your hives. Each of my hives had about 30lb of honey, 12l syrup and 2 kg of fondant between September and March the bees ate it all but I did not lose any to starvation.

Peter Kirkup

PBKA Asian Hornet Coordinator

Asian Hornet Co-ordinator

apiarymanager Hornets

Hello, I am Peter Kirkup, your Asian Hornet Co-ordinator, I work for Natural Resources Wales and part of this work involves investigating reports of alien species including the Asian Hornet.

In an effort to raise awareness I am interested to hear from anyone willing to be a verifier. A verifier will simply be asked to visit a potential sighting close to them, confirm which species is present and photograph it and send a text back to me if it is an Asian hornet. If you happen to see the nest take a picture if you can safely. DO NOT disturb the nest, you or others might get severely stung. The ‘what3words‘ is a great app for precise locations. Please make yourself familiar with the Asian Hornet appearance. Confirmed sightings can be reported here.

Confirmed Asian Hornet sightings this year to the end of May are 13 individuals captured and one nest destroyed. All have been in Kent or East Sussex but one hornet was found in London. If you browse you tube there is a video showing European hornet and an Asian hornet side by side. There is an Asian hornet app available but it does not work for everyone.

We must all be vigilant, thank you for reading this far.

Peter Kirkup

Tel: 07770 883720

 

Asian Hornet update!

apiarymanager Hornets, PBKA

By the end of 2023 72 asian hornet nests had been confirmed in Britain. This is an enormous increase on previous years but increased awareness and reporting contributed to the total. There were many unconfirmed sightings, including a report from Slebech. As an observation, European hornets seemed to be more abundant in 2023 too. So far in 2024 a dead hornet was found in London, a credible sighting was in Preston at a warehouse handling goods from France. As you start getting you mowers and garden furniture out of the shed, just check there are no hornets waking from their slumber.

Peter Kirkup

Asian Hornet Co-ordinator