BBKA Forum

The Newly emerged fertile Queen Wasp needs large quantities of nectar to fuel her while she builds her nest and begins to lay her first eggs. It has often been said that the first plant utilised by wasps is the humble gooseberry and that by monitoring the gooseberry flowers the wasp queens can be eliminated. ( not that that is a god idea! ). Presumably Asian Hornet Queen also require a nectar kickstart. Perhaps this could be the ideal site for hornet monitoring traps come Spring. I've checked most of the information posts available for info on the Queen's first meal but still nothing very detailed.
Steve.

I have no idea. but it must be something worth discussing because with all the nests this year, theyve gotta be here now.

Hivelifter2 wrote: ↑

05 Dec 2018, 09:23

I have heard that Camellias are a strong favourite for them.

Ideal for a hornet trap site perhaps?

Interesting thought Steve, but where I live, at least, inaccurate. Queen wasps are active long before our gooseberry bushes flower.
Willow would be a possibility as one of our earliest nectar sources. But Queen wasps living on their fat reserves build up the previous autumn would be my guess.

Hivelifter2 wrote: ↑

06 Dec 2018, 10:46

Not sure if this has been aired anywhere on here but have just seen an article on Asian Hornet on the new BeeCraft website. It includes two videos from a chap in Normandy. Very interesting and informative. See www.bee-craft.com
Asian hornet update.
TonyS.

Everyone should view this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvuAvut9ELU

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=us0mkzcG_HI

The second one I had watched last month. Fairly surprised to see it low to the ground and in brambles, and so close to his house!

No. 2: Map out your Local Area

https://bee-craft.com/asian-hornet-updates


That's an interesting point : Scrutinise a map of your own area and see what fields/other places of uncertain ownership are in your vicinity. Make/ local enquiries now. If there is an Asian Hornet sighting and the need to start tracking down nests, you will know at once who to ask for permission to walk over their land and place bait stations.

Cable_Fairy wrote: ↑

06 Dec 2018, 17:50

Everyone should view this.

Can'y t find any Asian Hornets but by "should view this" are you referring to the new beekeeping apparel for hot summers they show?

http://map.whoownsengland.org/

Not sure it's a huge amount of use.

https://www.cabi.org/isc/datasheet/109164

The paper nests of V. velutina are usually built in tree canopies well above the ground, or occasionally in undisturbed and sheltered areas in buildings (under stairwells, in abandoned barns, chicken coops or sections of buildings, etc.) or in bramble bushes, and very rarely underground (Martin, 1995; Rome et al., 2009). See the Habitat table for the types of habitat in which the species is found.

In Jersey they was a nest on the outside of a building, high up... easier to spot I suppose than the bramble nest.

So anywhere.