On Sunday, 5 October one of our members spotted a Yellow Legged Asian Hornet picking off a bee on one of their hive’s landing boards in Coldharbour, Surrey.
This predating on the bees is a clear indication the hornets are feeding larvae in a nest.
A photo was taken and sent immediately to the National Bee Unit via the Asian Hornet Watch app on their phone. Seen, Snapped & App’d.
Within an hour or so, contact had been made by the National Bee Unit (NBU) to say the member would be contacted imminently with instructions for the next steps. This was followed up shortly afterwards with contact from a Regional Bee Inspector providing further instructions.
At 9am on Monday morning a Southwest Regional Bee Inspector, Annabel Lewis, arrived at the site. A bait station was set up within the member’s apiary as well as three other stations within walking distance to where the hornet had been spotted.
On Tuesday the local Regional Bee Inspector, Tom Bickerdike, arrived to monitor these bait stations, set up a couple more, to gain as much information as possible. A few YLAHs, 2 to 4, were attracted to a bait station of Trappit after first being seen by Tom, feeding on nearby ivy, which for the operation was good news at this stage. By Wednesday, (8th October) the Track and Trace operation became fully active with a team being called in to hunt down the nest.
The YLAH threat is on our doorstep there is no doubt and we may, as beekeepers, feel heightened concern. Rest assured that our bee inspectors across the country (members of the National Bee Unit, which comes under DEFRA) are doing an impressive job in carrying out their Eradication Policy. Their action in Coldharbour and no doubt elsewhere, has been nothing but highly efficient, effective and professional. The Bee Inspectors are reporting that, to date, every confirmed sighting in the UK has ended in the eradication of the nest.
BUT they need as much help
as they can get please.
What can you do?
Make sure you have the Asian Hornet Watch app on your phone and encourage anyone you know and who can, to download it on their phone. See It! Snap It! App It!
At this stage we are only permitted to `monitor` for AH. The best way is by `wick bait stations` which do not trap any insect, whether that be wasp/moth /bee/hornet/fly etc etc.
(Trapping may be something that will be discussed and may be permitted at a later stage by the NBU.)
Spread awareness of YLAH in any way you can.
It is likely that the YLAH spotted was a worker and that the unmated Queens, or Gynes, have not emerged from the nest. But very soon drones could be flying and between 200 and 500 Gynes can be produced per nest, ready to emerge and mate with the aim of hibernating till the Spring when the reproductive cycle begins over again. With everyone’s help, we can hopefully prevent this.
reigatebeekeepers.org.uk 