In researching the Asian hornet, I have had but one aim: to come up with a plan that I, a beekeeper, can implement in the event that the Asian hornet comes to the UK. So far in this article I have concentrated on the mechanics of defence i.e. the controls implemented by the French. Sadly, none is the magic bullet we are looking for, because:

Nest destruction alone would have to reach unrealistic levels to even halve the rate of spread or density of nests.

Spring trapping reduces the density of nests in an area, but that may be of little solace if a nest has found your bees and is predating them.

As the summer progresses you have to catch a lot of hornets to make any impact on predation.

So, what is the strategy?  I suggest it is the following. Given that the French have been unable to stop the hornet we must first recognise what sort of war we are fighting. This is going to be a war of attrition and it is going to be a long one. With no magic bullet and against a resilient and adaptable foe, you cannot afford to leave any weapon unused in your armoury.  For example, if you do not trap foundress queens in the spring then you have just made life harder for yourself and your bees.  What is more, you have made life harder for the other beekeepers around you.

Your bees are not quite the walkover that some would suggest.  The balance is a finer one and it is up to you as the beekeeper to tilt things in your bees’ favour by creating an environment in the apiary that favours the bee not the hornet.

Your bees have a distinct advantage over the hornet: you the beekeeper.  You have to manage this threat to your bees.  Throw the current feeding book out of the window and be prepared to do what the beekeepers in Aquitaine had to do: ‘Years in which we fed and fed and fed our bees’.

You cannot be half-hearted about this. You should deploy sufficient resources to make a difference. Your bees will tell you whether you are deploying enough and at the right time because there is only one measure; are your bees flying, is the queen laying and is the winter brood coming along?  Spread the word: local beekeeping associations need to set up a working group to educate the public and other beekeepers.