The Yellow-Legged Asian Hornet A Handbook

About this book

Around 2004, the Asian or yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) was accidentally imported into southern France from China, and it has spread through western European countries with astonishing speed. Since 2016, there have been incursions into the UK, and these are becoming more frequent as the population on the continent increases in numbers. In 2023, 72 nests were found in 56 locations, mainly in south-east England. It is unknown whether they are now established. Yellow-legged hornets cause three important problems for humans: they are voracious predators of native insects; they love eating bees, especially honey bees; and if a nest is accidentally disturbed, they can be very aggressive, multiple stings sometimes resulting in hospitalisation and even death.

This handbook is the second edition of The Asian Hornet Handbook and has been fully revised, expanded and restructured. It is a comprehensive and practical guide, bursting with new information from hornet identification to up-to-date scientific findings on yellow-legged hornet biology, behaviour and ecology. There are also sections on the spread of these insects, how they are dealt with in the UK and Europe, how to track hornets to find their nests, trapping, and other methods of control. Fascinating, readable and full of photos and illustrations, this is a book for beekeepers, naturalists, ecologists, outdoor workers (e.g. gardeners, forestry workers, leisure industry) and anyone interested in invasive alien species. References (over 200), Glossary and Index.

Customer Reviews

Biography

Dr Sarah Bunker has a PhD in insect flight and has been a beekeeper in Devon for many years. In the summer of 2018, she gained experi­ence tracking Asian hornets in Jersey, where beekeepers use the 'Jersey method' to find the hornets' large paper nests. When she returned to the UK, she felt compelled to write this practical handbook to inform bee­keepers and others about these extraordinary insects and what can be done about them.