A Sunday Lunch Turned Unusual
It was a regular Sunday afternoon on the 23rd of July, a day made for getting the family together. I was hosting my children for lunch, and post-meal, we ventured into the garden to inspect the solar wax extractor. As we gathered around the extractor, our casual chatter was interrupted by an unusual sight.
A Sinister Discovery
One of my sons who is also a beekeeper spotted an odd-looking insect, flying menacingly around the extractor. We watched in stunned silence as the insect singled out a honeybee carried it to a nearby leaf, and began to dissect it. The insect’s ruthless efficiency sparked alarm among us. Something about its behaviour wasn’t right
Identification and Attempted Capture
The shock of witnessing this predatorial behaviour was swiftly replaced by recognition. As beekeepers, we were all too aware of the devastating implications Asian Hornets can have on not just honeybees but other pollinators, and we realised that we were witnessing one firsthand. Our leisurely Sunday had taken an unexpected turn. Faced with the threat looming in our garden, we sprang into action. Capturing the hornet became a chaotic endeavour that could only be described as a comedy of errors. As the AH sat on the leaf merrily dissecting the poor honey bee (The hornets raid honeybee hives and solar wax extractors by the look of it, by sitting outside them and capturing workers as they go in and out. They chop them up and feed the thorax to their young) Armed with nothing more than a cardboard tube we took 3 attempts to stun it so we could capture it. After several attempts, marked by near misses we managed to stun the hornet. We quickly transferred the stunned hornet into a queen catcher, ensuring it couldn’t escape.
Second Opinion and Reporting
The next step involved seeking a second opinion from an experienced fellow beekeeper. Holding our captured hornet captive in a honey jar, I rushed to Neil, my friend beekeeping mentor and the chairman of the Plymouth Beekeeping Association. Luckily we only live 300m from each other. We inspected the hornet and confirmed our initial identification; it was indeed the dreaded Asian hornet. I was slightly more concerned for Neil as he has a couple of hives in his garden so wanted to let him know immediately anyway.
Recognising the potential threat it posed to the local bee population, we wasted no time in reporting our sightings. Using the Asian hornet app, I submitted the report, attaching pictures of our captive hornet as evidence. Little did we know that our report was about to set in motion an intense operation involving the National Bee Unit (NBU).
Our amazing secretary Jean sent out an email to the PBKA explaining that there was a high chance an Asian Hornet had been found just so that we could at least raise awareness among the local beekeeping community but she also reinforced the need to understand this had not been confirmed by the NBU at this stage. Gerry Stuart (who has a great page on the Torbay Beekeepers page https://tbbk.co.uk/asian-hornet-2020/) and DBKA Chair Simon O’Sullivan were also very helpful with some early advice and supplies of Bait station liquid for PBKA use.
The arrival of the NBU
The following day, Phil, the seasonal bee inspector for our area, arrived to assess the situation. He took the specimen and sent it for expert analysis to the NBU. Phil’s arrival marked the escalation of our hornet encounter from a backyard curiosity to a community-wide concern. His presence filled us with a sense of reassurance, knowing we were now in the hands of experts.
At the Heart of the Operation
By the time the afternoon sun was high in the sky, our garden had transformed to a buzzing hive of activity, and not with bees. An assembly of seasonal bee inspectors came together with one mission: to locate and destroy the Asian hornet nest. I watched as they moved about the garden with practised efficiency, setting up bait stations and initiating surveillance procedures. Each inspector seemed to understand their role within the larger operation, contributing to a well-orchestrated effort to protect our local bee and pollinator population. The precision and professionalism of the NBU team were impressive, shedding light on the often unseen work done by these guardians of the beekeeping world.
The NBU’s Remarkable Strategy
The NBU’s systematic approach to locating the nest was fascinating. A bait station was set up in my garden. By the end of the 2nd monitoring day they had caught one in a bait station. By carefully observing the direction of their flight and recording it on their specialized app, they started piecing together a puzzle that would lead them to the nest. The process was meticulous and required a careful eye for detail, as the team meticulously marked the flight paths, created a log, and set up more bait stations to close in on the nest.
Finding the Nest
By mapping the Asian hornets’ movements, the NBU was able to identify the general vicinity of the nest. As the days went on, they refined their search area until they pinpointed the nest to the edge of a graveyard, a mere 200m from my house. They discovered an established secondary nest within a large tree about 30 ft in the air. By this time, Pete Davis, the Regional Bee Inspector from the Eastern England area (they travel long distances these bee inspectors) had taken control of the situation. On Thursday evening they were in a position to destroy the nest. I went down before they destroyed it to take a couple of pics with Pete keeping me at a safe distance. As soon as they were in a position to start administering the chemicals to destroy the nest I left and let them carry on with their task.
The Hunt Continues
However, the job was far from over. The bait stations that had initially been used to attract the hornets were transformed into traps, ensnaring any returning hornets. Over the next few days, the traps continued to yield Asian hornets, indicating the potential presence of another nest. The NBU team was undeterred by the challenging task and tirelessly pursued their mission. Their relentless search paid off when they uncovered a primary nest cleverly hidden amidst thick brambles around 30 ft from the secondary nest.
Reflections
Firstly, what an awesome and professional bunch the NBU are. I hope I have not missed anyone out here so apologies if I have but credit to Phil Jordan, Marcus Pilling, Leila Goss, Pete Davis, Hazel Vallis, Donald Audie, Kevin Pope and Megan Seymour. They were fantastic. The effort and dedication put in to find both nest sites blew me away to be honest.
This entire ordeal has been a wake-up call for us beekeepers in Plymouth. Its geographical location, proximity to Devonport dockyard, and a cross-channel ferry at Millbay docks make it vulnerable to the Asian hornet. However, through this experience, I’ve gained a profound respect for the NBU and their relentless dedication to safeguarding our bees and pollinators. Their work is an invaluable service, and we must do our part to support their efforts by staying vigilant, educating others, and promptly reporting any sightings. I cannot give them enough credit, they were amazing.
In retrospect, I consider myself fortunate that this encounter occurred in my garden. As a beekeeper, I was equipped to identify the threat and take immediate action. This incident served to raise awareness about the Asian hornet across Plymouth, reminding us of the crucial role each of us plays in keeping our environment safe and balanced. The fight against invasive species is far from over, but with knowledge, vigilance, and collective effort, we stand a good chance.
Get an AHAT set up if you do not have one.
AHTs can support the NBU in a number of ways:
- By monitoring and setting up traps in their own apiaries;
- By assisting other beekeepers (who request it) in the monitoring of their apiaries and the setting up of traps;
- By recording the use of traps in apiaries on BeeBase as previously described;
- By observing local forage for Asian hornet activity;
- By reporting all leads as described above.
We need to raise more awareness not just with beekeepers but the general public. There are more of them then there are beekeepers so we need lots of pairs of eyes on the ground to keep this evasive species at bay that’s for sure.