AH Response
The SBBKA is progressing with our initiatives to collaborate closely with the Lincolnshire Beekeepers Association (LBKA), whose dedicated efforts to address the Asian Hornet issue are in perfect harmony with our approach to combat this escalating menace. Here is the recently published LBKA Asian Hornet Response statement:
Plan of action is to engage with all districts with programme of talks in person or by zoom. These are aimed at raising awareness, recognition, how to track nests, specifically what all members can do and sharing the LBKA proposed plan and response to the Asian Hornet threat. Also, to try and generate enthusiasm for an Asian Hornet response team and volunteers. Talks have been organised at Grantham, Boston, Stamford, and Lincoln, plus we have discussed a Zoom talk for North Lincs, date yet to be agreed. Being realistic, by the time we start seeing Asian Hornets in Lincolnshire, the likely scenario is that they will be endemic in the country and particularly established in the south, spreading northwards through our county.
At this time, the NBU and DEFRA will likely be overrun and their policy will change from eradication to containment. We should assume therefore that the burden of work will likely fall on local AHAT’s in each association.
In Jersey, the government has a paid full time Asian Hornet Coordinator employed a minimum 6 month of the year, it is questionable whether government funded positions will ever be provided in the UK, either Central or locally funded, some associations (Hampshire for example) are pressing local councils to consider this but whether LCC would consider this or not is not known but assumed unlikely.
If we just think about the initial response as it appears, the main question is do we want to let it just spread unfettered or do we want to lead an effort at containment? My view is that we have no choice but to make efforts for the latter. This being the case…..
Response
1. It is necessary to educate all members willing to engage.
2. With immediate effect this spring, carry out a structured and extensive campaign of selective spring trapping across the whole of the county to catch queen hornets. There is some heated debate going on presently whether selective trapping should continue across the summer and autumn, having considered this I believe selective trapping should be implemented year-round, this can be debated and decided at a future point with guidance, instructions, and a calendar of how this is implemented can be provided. This should comprise every LBKA member setting up and monitoring at least one selective trap, if some wanted to set up more, all the better. This will be something all beekeepers will now do each year. Training is essential for spring trapping as is the selection of trap to avoid innocent victims, namely other pollinators and specifically the European Hornet.
3. Extensive campaign of bait stations from late July until end October. Ideally this will comprise every LBKA member setting up and monitoring a bait station to attract worker hornets. If hornets are sighted then this will be appropriately notified. If
hornets are already coming and going from bait stations it saves a lot of time for
whoever is tasked with tracking them to their nests so makes this operation much more efficient. How this is carried out needs proper planning in conjunction with the use of selective trapping.
4. Someone is going to have to verify sightings of Asian Hornets, if there are 1,000’s of nests in the UK are DERFA really going to be able to do this. Diane Drinkwater (BBKA Chair) said to me last week that the local AHAT’s were getting loads of reports to verify, at least I think this is what she said, either way this could fall on our shoulders, at least in part and the number of sightings could be very numerous.
5. Nests need to be tracked (subject to man/woman power) and destroyed.
All these matters will be explained and discussed at the planned meetings and broad agreement sought so that the plan is properly supported.
Structure
1. Central Asian Hornet Coordinator, coordinates response between districts, publicity, develops structured plan for the use of selective trapping throughout the county and any other measures.
2. Ideally and Asian Hornet response team in each district headed by a team leader / district Asian Hornet Coordinator (AHC)
3. Each district AHC responsible for implementing selective spring queen trapping, further selective trapping throughout the season and bait stations that will be carried out by all their districts members.
4. District Asian Hornet Team will be responsible for any tracking done in their area, coordination
Funding considerations
1. Selective spring trapping queens is essential, the more extensive the better. This is something that can easily be done by everyone every year and from this point on I believe should be considered standard beekeeping practice, indeed it is now more important than varroa control for example. Given the numbers involved it is not possible for this to be funded by county, some districts may take their own view, however LBKA can discuss a bulk purchased rate to encourage their use and to this end I have already been in discussions with a supplier of selective AH traps that have been used extensively in France. For information the cost per unit if purchased in bulk is £20.50. I propose that we settle on one approved LBKA selective trap. This would mean that we can make sure everyone is using a selective rather than indiscriminate trap county wide so that we do not destroy the ecology of the county.
2. LBKA have agreed to fund a small number of volunteers who would be willing to go to Kent to work with and observe the NBU tracking nests. This would mean we would be able to respond quickly to initial sightings and outbreaks as we would have a few members with experience (we presently only have 1). In my opinion if these volunteers were more ‘senior’ type committee members from district this would be better as these people are more likely to involve themselves in some sort of management or coordination role and so hands on experience would be more beneficial. The doomsday scenario is government decree that the NBU will not track nests in the next year or so in which case it will be down to LBKA or not at all. Present agreed funding is for 4 volunteers, maybe up to 3 nights each based on a typical Travel Lodge costing around £100 per night. Some members have already expressed an interest in this but we should agree a list ASAP so they can go now or this Autumn while the situation is still live.
In Real Life!
There are a lot of people with very good intentions, particularly in Southern Counties where they have lived with the risk of AH’s for some time, some key people are very motivated so the efforts of these counties, such as Hampshire particularly and Kent is going to be significant. Here in Lincolnshire, we have been rather dormant in respect of the AH until now so I am not sure how good or poor the response will be. It should be noted that at Committee level at least Stamford and Bourne, although not LBKA at this time seem keen to engage, I can speak for the committee in Grantham who on the face of it are similarly keen. Simon Castleman, the Sleaford Secretary has expressed an interest in volunteering to go to Kent so that is a good sign there.
When the responses required are considered it looks like a lot of effort, selective trapping and monitoring bait stations is easy and from now on I believe will become standard beekeeping practice, for it to be effective, in my opinion it needs to be on a structured county wide basis as opposed to ad-hoc by individual beekeepers, the latter would just be a waste of time and ineffective at stopping a wave of AH’s. Tracking and destroying is where the effort comes. Quite how long this can be sustained is unknown and will ultimately depend on the numbers of Asian Hornets we do see and the willingness of members to help save their and other beekeepers’ bees. I see no option for us other than try at the front end of the incursion and just review it as we go. Effective selective tracking will alleviate some work in tracking and destroying. In the end we may become overrun too. In the worst case however, there will be those like me that in the event of failure at County level, if it came to it, would basically protect the area around my / their apiary by selective trapping as well as tracking and destroying any nests within hunting distance to the apiary myself. It may eventually come to this.