BREAKING NEWS – Asian Hornet Found In Gloucestershire UK
The Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina) was reported in Tetbury yesterday. This is the first time this hornet has been reported in the UK and it is just 6 miles from my hives (10Km). Pure speculation, but Cotswold Airport is only 2 miles from Tetbury – could this have been possible incursion point? Bee inspectors have been planning for this eventuality and are in the area trying to make sure any nests are destroyed and understand how it arrived here. Fingers crossed.
Source: BeeBase, Crown Copyright
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Paynes (01273 843388) stock the Apishield Hornet trap (there was an article on it in April 2014 in BEECRAFT MAGAZINE)
I don’t know whether the trap is now made in wood or plastic but I shall certainly order some. They cost £50 each so are probably made of wood.
If you need further information here is a pretty good image of the pest: Link to Guardian newspaper.
Traps can be manufactured fairly cheaply and can be hung out now to catch mated queen hornets looking for somewhere to hibernate and definitely should be deployed in quantity in the early spring, baited with suitable attractants: beer, sugar, meat, fish.
For plans see: National Bee Unit
and/or
Simple Asian hornet trap – Fera
We now wait to hear whether the combined might of DEFRA, now deployed to Tetbury, has found and exterminated the nest, if nest it is. But this will only be the first incursion. Even Julius Caesar had to take two attempts to invade Britain successfully.
Just heard you on BBC Radio 4 – and thanks for helpful links.
Good luck! Hopefully the proximity of Prince Charles’ estate will work in your favour.