16th August 2023
Help the fight against an Asian Hornet invasion
Here are some simple things of which members of the public should be aware.
1) Know how to ID an Asian Hornet, and why it’s important that the British Beekeepers Association (BKA) find all the nests. They can only find the nests by finding hornets – https://www.bbka.org.uk/identify-asian-hornet.
Do not disturb an active nest.
Each Asian hornet can eat 300 bees a day. They will decimate honey bee colonies very quickly.
2) Download the Asian Hornet Watch app. It’s got plenty of photos of Asian Hornets and other insects that are commonly confused with them. The app is available for iPhone and Android.
3) Make a trap. It doesn’t need to be complicated like the National Bee Unit (NBU trap) – https://www.bbka.org.uk/faqs/how-to-make-an-asian-hornet-trap – a simpler trap like the one on the Big Wasp Survey website will do – https://www.bigwaspsurvey.org/taking-part/#1-2-making-your-traps
A simple roof can be added for it to remain effective for longer rather than filling up with rain.
4) Monitor the trap and check it regularly for Asian hornets, then report any sightings via the Asian Hornet Watch app.
Alternatively, report on-line @www.nonnativespecies.org/alerts/asianhornet or by e-mail to: alertnonnative@ceh.au.uk