Asian Hornet The Beekeeper's Guide to Defences against the Yellow-Legged Hornet Vespa velutina

About this book

An essential guide, written in plain language, for any beekeeper who may be confronted by the Asian hornet in their apiary. Covering all aspects of defence against the hornet in and around the apiary, this practical guide’s strength lies in its depth and detail. Where others stop or leave open questions, this guide ensures that the beekeeper has the knowledge they need.

Using measures approved and adopted by French beekeeping organisations, Andrew explains not just how and when to use defences but also why you use them, the necessary combination, and where the compromises lie. Andrew looks at the hornet’s effect on French honey bee colony losses, the rift between scientists and beekeepers, the controversial debate about the spring trapping of foundress queens, the underestimated risk to human health, and he questions the beekeeper’s role in track and trace and nest destruction.

Contents

1. Introduction
2. Background and Sources
3. Thinking Well Ahead of the Hornet’s Arrival
4. Scientists and Solutions
5. Nest Destruction & Wide-area Spring Trapping - A Job for Beekeepers?
6. The Hornet and Humans – The Risk to Human Health
7. The Asian Hornet – A Consummate Predator
8. The Hornet and the Honey bee
9. The Asian Hornet – Honey bee Colony Mortality, Good Beekeeping & Healthy Colonies
10. The Spring Trapping Debate
11. Defences Around the Apiary
12. Defences in the Apiary
13. Trojan Bait Trapping
14. ‘Blue sky’ Thinking
15. Overall Summary – Defences Against the Hornet

Acknowledgements
Further Reading and References
Annex – Building a Harpe electrique

Customer Reviews

Biography

Andrew Durham is a Cambridgeshire beekeeper who started his research into the Asian hornet in 2014. It was to take him across France, involve many thousands of hours of study, and saw him join French national beekeeping associations. Andrew has given talks on the Asian hornet to beekeeping associations, addressed BBKA Asian Hornet conferences, and his talks during BBKA Asian Hornet Weeks have been widely praised.