The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Bees & Beekeeping => Topic started by: Laurieston on April 24, 2014, 10:12:15 pm
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Last week I found a hornet sitting under one of my hives. And then yesterday I found it sitting on the landing pad trying to grab any bees it could reach. The bees seemed able to escape easily, but my daughter later told me the she had watched it eat one bee.
My question is whether anyone has any experience of hornets and bees and therefore whether I should continue to share my hobby with a hungry hornet, or whether it might invite all its friends to join in the feast. Any experiences anyone can share?
Thanks.
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Given you're on the continent, is it an Asian hornet? http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/asian_hornet (http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/asian_hornet)
If so, really bad news. The Asian bees have learnt how to kill the hornet - they roll it up in a ball so it basically dies from being so hot - but the European bees haven't learnt that trick yet. I don't think there is anything you could do if it is an Asian hornet besides trying to kill any you see.
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Apparently hens eat the hornets. Its been recommended here in France, where there is a problem with Asian hornets, to keep chickens near to the bee hives.
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I have seen my bees take on a hornet successfully. The guard bees sting them I think, whilst flying. Quite a commotion.
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But that's the European hornet - Asian hornet has not yet reached the UK but we're supposed to be on high alert for it. So it depends on the type - European bees should be able to fight off a European hornet (particularly a strong hive and a lone hornet) but the Asian ones are bigger and stronger, apparently.
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Thanks for the info.. I have not yet met an Asian hornet, and think the one we had (had!) was a European one, as it was beautifully stripped. My daughter took photos, but was too nervous to get too close. After she saw it eating one of 'her' bees the hornet, I'm afraid to say, was chased away.
We have a lot of hornets here in Germany. As a boy growing up in the UK hornets were somewhat the 'boggy man', the creature which we told each other we had been chased by, but never really saw. Now I expect to see them regularly. They are actually not aggressive, nothing like a wasp, but I'm told that if you do get stung it is like being wacked on the head.
What struck me most was that it settled under the hive and was there every time I looked for the few days. I don't know if it went somewhere to a nest, or was maybe a lone wandering one, but it had certainly found a nice source of food. I wouldn't mind one eating a bit, but if the whole nest full came to dinner that would be pretty scary.
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I have never encountered this problem before, however I am eager to learn any advice for it, I plan to get bees next year :excited:
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Hornets are beautiful creatures and we had a nest for several years by the back door at our old place - used to terrify visitors but thankfully no-one actually got stung.
Then last year I found a hornet nest in one of my old coats in the back porch, methinks I should clean them out more oftern :innocent: .
They make a lot of noise but are not usually aggressive. However they will rob out the bee hive and take a few bees.
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I'm not sure if they are like wasp which rob hives. OH has made wasp traps (jars of sticky jam) which he puts close to the hives to encourage the wasps to go there instead of into the hives.
It might work for hornets too.
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Hornets are absolutely the enemy of your bees, just like wasps. They will predate your bees one at a time and yes they will tell the rest of their nest and both rob and kill your bees.
As you might have guessed, I squash or trap every one I can find.
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In Germany I think you'll find that the hornets are a protected species , woe betide you if you're caught destroying them or admitting to it on line ... Be careful.
Seek your local bee keepers group advice
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Oh dear! I hope that's not the case here! Not sure what I will do if I have to protect them! Off to find out...
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Bionic, yes, the water with jam mixture will also attract Hornets. We do the same thing but with 1 litre plastic cola type bottles, cut in half and the top half placed upside down into the lower half, which contains the jam/water. Hornets go in but can't get out again. We also keep mouse excluders on the hive entrances all year round.
Every year we get Hornets banging their heads on the bedroom window at night - last year we counted well over 20 out there at the same time. And if the window is open in they will come.
Got stung by one a few years back. Nasty, arm swelled up, red, felt hot and solid and stayed that way for days even though I had antihistamine.
They are not known for being aggressive but the one that went for me clearly hadn't heard that..