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  • Asian Hornet Sightings

  • Honeybee pests and diseases.
Honeybee pests and diseases.
 #1832  by Chrisbarlow
 01 Feb 2019, 18:58
there is an asian hornet app for reporting sightings and helping with identification.

The government website is
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-app-to-report-asian-hornet-sightings

iphone version here
https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/asian-hornet-watch/id1161238813?mt=8

android version here
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.ac.ceh.hornets&hl=en_GB

and if you are really into reporting mini beasts then the centre for ecology and hydrology have an app for reporting all sorts of things called iRecord.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=uk.ac.ceh.irecord&hl=en_GB
Last edited by Chrisbarlow on 10 Sep 2019, 16:41, edited 1 time in total.
 #1851  by Chrisbarlow
 03 Feb 2019, 10:47
If your into facebook, a good group here from a few Jersey beekeepers about their endeavors with the Asian hornet

https://www.facebook.com/groups/293640477963172/

They've posted a pdf on tracking hornet back to their nests, some good videos on stripping nests down.
 #1894  by DianeBees
 10 Feb 2019, 12:50
Chrisbarlow wrote:
03 Feb 2019, 10:47
If your into facebook, a good group here from a few Jersey beekeepers about their endeavors with the Asian hornet

https://www.facebook.com/groups/293640477963172/

They've posted a pdf on tracking hornet back to their nests, some good videos on stripping nests down.
https://www.facebook.com/john.decarteret/videos/pcb.293646291295924/10216388011625951/?type=3&theater&ifg=1

Just watching one of the videos now!
 #1959  by MickBBKA
 17 Feb 2019, 03:47
Total waste of time IMHO. The government are taking no lead, the NBU is underfunded and relying on beekeepers and the public to prevent this.
As with every single other invasive species the government have failed to prevent its spread once its here.
Lets face facts, if they can't stop boats the size of cars turning up on southern beaches full of migrants, then they are not going to stop 2 inch sized migrant insects crossing the Channel.

Resource's should be geared towards beekeepers pre-emptive controls on colony attack as the government will completely fail to prevent incursion. The NBU will just waste time and resources trying to prevent incursion while the government sits on its hands. Same old same old... !!
 #1961  by Chrisbarlow
 17 Feb 2019, 07:19
I agree in that we won't stop it from arriving but we can slow it down. I think the NBU did a brilliant job last year destroying all nests found. If not then there would have been hundreds of nests this year and thousands the following. As it stands it's been delayed at least another year.

As for under funding, absolutely.

I think once asian hornet arrives in force it will have a similar effect as varroa in the 90ies and lots of people will leave the craft. Shame really.
 #1980  by MickBBKA
 17 Feb 2019, 23:46
Chrisbarlow wrote:
17 Feb 2019, 07:19
I think once asian hornet arrives in force it will have a similar effect as varroa in the 90ies and lots of people will leave the craft. Shame really.
I am doing Mod3 at the moment and one of the main subjects is Varroa. You are very correct I feel. I have just been studying the decline in beekeepers due to Varroa and it was massive. I had never realised. It also took over a decade to bounce back.
The fact it is not even a notifiable pest shows the lack of interest from DEFRA, yet it is more likely to show up than Small Hive Beetle or Tropilaelaps.

Cheers, Mick.
 #1993  by Colin Lodge
 18 Feb 2019, 19:11
NBU are governed by Defra policy unit as to how they act each year. We know that NBU has approval for 2019 to continue with eradication measures which means that if they receive verified reports of AH they will send in Inspectors and find nests and have them destroyed. What they do not have is funds to send out inspectors to every report of dubious sightings. That is where AHAT members can assist and that is why NBU wants every branch to set up an AHAT and get it recorded on the BBKA Map Where reports are unsubstantiated by photographic or physical evidence then NBU will ask the nearest AHAT to investigate and substantiate or dismiss the report as necessary. On verification of the presence of AH the Inspectors will be sent in.

The only flaws in this scheme are a) non registration of AHATs on the BBKA map, https://www.bbka.org.uk/asian-hornet-action-team-map, and b) occurrence of multiple incursions of AH in overlapping time periods .

The first of these means that Branches have to get a move on with the registration process with BBKA, so that we have a complete network of AHATs across, initially the South of England and later the whole country. AHATs will also assist with the work of educating the general public and this is a necessary part of their work as , I agree, NBU/APHA does not have the financial resources to fund a National Education Campaign ( probably because the money is being directed toward the eradication work).

The second, namely multiple incursions in overlapping time frames , is going to cause the inspectorate most problems as they just do not have the manpower to act effectively in these circumstances. NBU has stated that it thinks it will be able to repeat the performance seen in 2018 provided that incursions are relatively few and occurring singly. NBU Admits it will struggle if anything else occurs to put extreme pressure on Inspectors. In that case they have promised to look at using AHAT members to augment the personnel on the ground and this scenario will be computer modelled for the Policy Unit to make a decision. AHAT members have to be prepared for this call and again BBKA policy of every branch having an AHAT is vital to the success of any change in the method of dealing with incursions.

If you are reading this and know your association has not yet made any move to form an AHAT then please make representations to your branch committees and area association Officers. We have to give these measures every chance of succeeding, and that means cooperation and willingness from every single beekeeper in the land.
 #1996  by Chrisbarlow
 18 Feb 2019, 20:50
MickBBKA wrote:
17 Feb 2019, 23:46
I am doing Mod3 at the moment and one of the main subjects is Varroa. You are very correct I feel. I have just been studying the decline in beekeepers due to Varroa and it was massive. I had never realised. It also took over a decade to bounce back.
The fact it is not even a notifiable pest shows the lack of interest from DEFRA, yet it is more likely to show up than Small Hive Beetle or Tropilaelaps.

Cheers, Mick.
I wasnt around then but speaking to the very small amount of beekeepers in the association that were around they have mentioned about people losing all their bees and just giving up, the fact that there are so few beekeepers that were around in the 90ies is an indicator in itself that the arrival of varroa is still being felt today through a lack of long term experience amongst association beekeepers.
 #1997  by Chrisbarlow
 18 Feb 2019, 20:52
Colin Lodge wrote:
18 Feb 2019, 19:11
If you are reading this and know your association has not yet made any move to form an AHAT then please make representations to your branch committees and area association Officers. We have to give these measures every chance of succeeding, and that means cooperation and willingness from every single beekeeper in the land.
well said Collin, you are absolutely right.