Bee Health

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

Wax Moth infestation warning!

apiarymanager Bee Health, National Bee Unit, PBKA, Pests

Would PBKA members please take appropriate action to reduce the risk of Wax Moth in their hives and the possible damage it can cause to wax comb.

We have been advised by one member of serious damage to their stored supers, as a result of this pest.

For advice, please check your stored comb and look at the NBU website for information

 

 

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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