The Asian Hornet: As Spring turns to Summer

"We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask, what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war…" Winston Churchill, 13 May 1940.

During battle to come it seems inevitable that sooner or later the Asian hornet will escape our efforts to stop its incursion into the UK and, therefore, it is only a matter of time before we beekeepers find ourselves at the front line of the battle against it. French beekeepers often refer to 'the war against the Asian hornet'. We must use what time we have, before the Asian hornet arrives at our landing boards, to prepare ourselves for the defence of our apiaries.

From the outset it is important to appreciate that no single measure is the solution to the Asian hornet; that despite what some commercial advertisements would suggest, no sole 'thing' is going to give our bees protection. If one is to make any impact on the hornet's predation it is essential to use a combination of defences, deployed at the appropriate time in the hornet's annual cycle, and on a scale that is proportionate to the hornet colony's development. Put simply; there is no point putting out a couple of traps and thinking that they will make any difference in the autumn when the hornet's predation is at its peak.

V. velutina is a remarkable predator that feeds on insects; honey bees make up only around 35% of its diet, usually taken on the wing. Its nests are a wonder of papier maché construction that can grow to over 90 cm in diameter and are well-insulated, thus protecting its brood from the vagaries of hot and cold. It is a social animal that works together to build and protect its nest, to feed its brood and to reproduce. In this country it will have few natural enemies. Notwithstanding its success in colonising France the Asian hornet has weaknesses and vulnerabilities that we can exploit.