alisonwo
Guest
My OH is Lead for Asian Hornet Action Teams in Torbay and devon and wants it to be known amongst all motorhome owners that Asian Hornet poses a big threat to the UK at This time of year. It is in the Autumn that Hornet Colonies (nests) produce the new queens that will hibernate over winter and then produce new nests next year.
France, Spain and Portugal are overrun by Asian Hornet and it is now invading Belgium, Germany, and Italy. All these countries have wine producing industries which are very worried about the effect Asian Hornets have on the bees and other insects which pollinate grapes. The hornets will wipe out lots of these insects and there is no natural predator of the Hornet to control its effects. European Hornets are no problem because evolution has give our native insects some defenses against it although it does take bees and other insects to feed young. In Asia the Asian Hornet has natural controls so it is no problem but in Europe it has no controls so its spread its fast. furious and catastrophic.
Please be on the look out for this insect if you travel to Europe this Autumn or are there now as campers like to park up in the very sorts of places Asian Hornets will build their nests, river banks and lake sides with trees. There is no real danger to you as campers so long as the nests are high in the trees but they are now known to nest low down and will defend their nests aggressively if disturbed. The new queens that are produced at this time of year fly off to find places to hibernate for winter and caravans and motorhomes (and tents and trailer tents) provide nice cosy spaces they can use. They may enter your units without you noticing and you may become unwitting couriers bringing this unwanted and Defra controlled species into the UK. It is already in the Channel Islands where the beekeepers and authorities have been fighting to control them all summer, and was most probably transported there in a vehicle, although it is possible it flew across the water as the distance from France is short.
CAn I ask for your help by carefully cleaning out your units on your return to the UK looking for any insects you may have pick up while on the continent. You couls spray thoroughly through your van with a wasp killer and in any lockers and cavities you know your van has. I know you wont get every place but anything you can do will help stop this insect
Asian Hornet looks like this:
It is about as big as a queen wasp and is very distictive with its yellow legs and orange/yellow band on the fourth segment of its abdomen. You can see more images of this insect and some of the insects it can be confuse with by going to www.ahat.org.uk
Thanks for you help. we really need to keep Asian Hornet out of mainland UK
France, Spain and Portugal are overrun by Asian Hornet and it is now invading Belgium, Germany, and Italy. All these countries have wine producing industries which are very worried about the effect Asian Hornets have on the bees and other insects which pollinate grapes. The hornets will wipe out lots of these insects and there is no natural predator of the Hornet to control its effects. European Hornets are no problem because evolution has give our native insects some defenses against it although it does take bees and other insects to feed young. In Asia the Asian Hornet has natural controls so it is no problem but in Europe it has no controls so its spread its fast. furious and catastrophic.
Please be on the look out for this insect if you travel to Europe this Autumn or are there now as campers like to park up in the very sorts of places Asian Hornets will build their nests, river banks and lake sides with trees. There is no real danger to you as campers so long as the nests are high in the trees but they are now known to nest low down and will defend their nests aggressively if disturbed. The new queens that are produced at this time of year fly off to find places to hibernate for winter and caravans and motorhomes (and tents and trailer tents) provide nice cosy spaces they can use. They may enter your units without you noticing and you may become unwitting couriers bringing this unwanted and Defra controlled species into the UK. It is already in the Channel Islands where the beekeepers and authorities have been fighting to control them all summer, and was most probably transported there in a vehicle, although it is possible it flew across the water as the distance from France is short.
CAn I ask for your help by carefully cleaning out your units on your return to the UK looking for any insects you may have pick up while on the continent. You couls spray thoroughly through your van with a wasp killer and in any lockers and cavities you know your van has. I know you wont get every place but anything you can do will help stop this insect
Asian Hornet looks like this:
Thanks for you help. we really need to keep Asian Hornet out of mainland UK