Asian Hornet (AH) by Cathy Moore

I hope everyone is aware that the AH has now been found in many parts of the UK. The beekeeping community is becoming organised to monitor the spread and identify nests which will be destroyed by NBU trained personnel. Groups are in the process of being set up throughout the UK to support this and to disseminate all we learn to a widespread audience.

The Asian Hornet Action Teams (AHATs) consist of a representative from each group within a county. Within each group we are hoping to find volunteers interested in knowing more. I am the rep for Rugby in the Warwickshire AHAT group. If anyone from Rugby would be interested in being part of the Rugby group please message me, Cathy Moore.

I will be writing a short piece from time to time to inform you about the current state of play and listing actions we can take to educate ourselves and others.

There is an app available both for Apple and Android devices, ‘Asian Hornet Watch’, which can be used to report sightings of AH. It is very useful both to identify the AH itself and to see where both insects and nests have been found so far. Should you spot an AH, it is also the route to inform the NBU, by sending a photograph and location.

For those who use Facebook, there are two useful groups, Asian Hornet UK location database and Jersey Asian Hornet Group. Jersey has had AH for 7 years and the FB group shows how they have been working with the public to identify hornets and have trained people to track them.

As time progresses I will be able to deliver talks to any groups, beekeepers or other groups that might be interested, such as the WI or gardening groups, it doesn't matter what sort of group, the most important thing is to spread the word.

Checking the Defra updates as I write this newsletter shows that so far this year 62 nests in 48 locations have been located and destroyed. Most in Kent with clusters around Dover and Folkestone but also several more nests have been located and destroyed inland. Further clusters have been found and destroyed around Southampton, Plymouth and Hull. There was a sighting of an AH on a cauliflower as far North as Northumberland, the cauliflower had been imported from France.

Tips for the month

• Put Mouse Guards on your hives
• If woodpeckers are in your area wrap chicken wire or similar around the hives to protect them
• As autumn storms start arriving make sure you have weights or straps on your hives to hold them down securely
• Ensure hives have at least 20-25Kg of stores for the winter
• Feed strong syrup solution if warm enough, once the temperature drops fondant
• should be used instead
• Store extracted supers but watch out for wax moths - put frames in the freezer for 48 hours to kill eggs, larvae and adults before storing boxes in such a way that wax moths cannot enter.

Dates for your diary

• 4th October Dave Bonner, Disease hygiene and husbandry
• 1st November Jane Medwell, Varroa
• 6th December Social Event, Festive Bring-and-Share plus Turkey Foot !
• 3rd January David Bonner, Queen rearing
• 7th February RBKA AGM
• 6th March Douglas Nethercleft, Tree Species

All meetings start at 7:30pm and are held in the hall attached to Sacred Heart Church in Alwyn Road, Bilton, unless advised otherwise.