Clodhopper,
Just copied this for you
As many of you know, the Asian hornet, Vespa velutina, is a predator of honey
bees and other beneficial insects. It has recently extended its geographical
range from Asia to mainland Europe following an accidental introduction to
France, and is now also present in Spain, Belgium, Portugal and Italy. Adult
hornets are highly mobile; the rate of spread across France is approximately 100
km/year. There is concern that this exotic insect could reach the UK, either by
hitching a ride on imported goods or simply by flying across the Channel.
The message to Beekeepers from the NBU is as follows:
• Now is the ideal time of year to look out for emerging queens, who can build
new nests;
• Make sure you know how to recognise Asian hornets – a very helpful ID sheet
can be downloaded from the NNSS website at
http://www.nonnativespecies.org/alerts/index.cfm?id=4• Know where to report sightings:
alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk• Our best defence against the Asian hornet is to quickly detect any arrivals
and prevent them from establishing;
• Trapping is expected to aid this;
• Please visit the Asian hornet pages on BeeBase click here to read updated
guidance for beekeepers, including information on early monitoring and trap
design. You can also access the full Response Plan through these pages.