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For several years we have warned of the threat of the Asian Hornet and so far little has come of it. A bit like the boy who cried wolf - but it is not.

Two years ago we had Asian Hornets on Portland. Due to prompt action we eliminated them before they could get a hold. It is that same prompt action we need now.

The Asian Hornet - or Yellow Legged Hornet or Yellow Legged Asian Hornet - will be at that stage in its life cycle where the fertilised queen (gyne) is establishing a primary nest and laying eggs. This is when she is at her most vulnerable. She is a single mother who has to look after her young and also go out to work and collect food.

This is the time when we should be setting monitoring stations and monitoring traps. If we can catch and kill one Yellow Legged Hornet then that will potentially save us from up to 350 fertilised queens being produced for next year.

So I urge you to get your traps and bait stations out there. Place sweet, carbohydrate lures in there and monitor them every day. For bait use any combination of beer, wine, fruit juice with some sugar. If you catch an Yellow Legged Hornet then pop it in the freezer. That way it is killed, preserved and in a suitable state for DEFRA to examine the DNA. Contact the local Asian Hornet Coordinator or report it on the App.

Why is it important for DEFRA to be informed? Well they may be able to identify the origins of hornet. Supposing we get two queens found in Dorset. If they are not related then it was just chance that gave us two. However if they were related then the chances are we have many more in the county that over wintered here.

The AGM was held earlier in March and there have been several changes as a result. Several of the principal officers have changed as can be seen from the box on the right.

One of the consequences of these changes is that we now expect to see a lot more activity on this web site. For the past year not a lot has happened here but it is planned to make big changes.

However those changes will not be happening immediately as I am away this week to Shropshire to the Bee Convention 2025. To those who have never been I draw your attention to the programme which contains many fascinating speakers. I was there last year and took part in a bee dissection class and then got really close up to the workings of bee when I took part in a session using a scanning electron microscope. Where else could you get such experience?

I have to say that bee anatomy is not my particular area of interest. Evolution has given us a bee which is well designed to cope with much that life throws at it - though it has yet to cope with Varroa. No, my interest is in the social organisation that takes place in the hive.

This spring I have been fortunate enough to be on a Bee Behaviour Course given by Lesley Gasson and hosted by Dorchester and Weymouth Beekeepers. This proved to be a very worthwhile course and has showed me with many avenues I wish to explore further.

Anyway that is enough for now - I have to pack.

The Dorset Beekeepers will be holding the AGM at 2pm on Saturday 22nd March at the Dorford Centre in Dorchester. For those who have not been to the Dorford Centre before it is almost in front of you as you cross the Bridport Road on the crossing from the Top Of Town carpark.

The business part of the meeting will be preceded by a talk on "Beekeeping in Poor Weather" by Geoff Blay. There will be tea and cakes supplied by North Dorset Beekeepers.

It should be an interesting afternoon and it is an excellent opportunity to meet up with other beekeepers.

Sitting here with the rain drumming on the window it is difficult to think ahead to an active beekeeping season - but that is what we must do.

The first event which you need to know about is the Asian Hornet Workshop to be held at the Sunninghill Community Hall, Culliford Road in Dorchester. The event is on this Sunday the 18th February from 2:00pm to 5:00pm and includes:

• Update on the Asian Hornet situation in the County from Mark White
• Tea and Cakes
• Talk by Pollenize on using AI for Asian Hornet detection.
• There will be local and regional experts there with an opportunity for questions.

We were hoping to give out some Trappit but at the moment it is impossible to get hold of. There will be recipes for making your own.

I have received the following email from Amie

Hi, I am Amie a 3rd-year university student at Royal Holloway, University of London. I am writing to all Beekeeping associations within the UK to conduct a study for my final year undergraduate project. As I aim to survey beekeepers, I hope that you will be able to assist me.

My project aims to investigate Beekeeper practices within the UK and attitudes held towards wild bee species. I conducted a previous survey at the National Honey Show in October 2023 and now have a revised survey based on the responses from that.

The research project is a core component of my course and thus I would be extremely grateful if you could aid me. My survey takes about 4-5 minutes. 

 As it is on Google Forms, all answers are anonymous and no personal data is collected (including emails and phone numbers).

The link to the form is https://forms.gle/GrKqeJ5oGvCRLSez7 

or

 https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf_yzOu7rE-xLO7eJUAAYh1XSJ3d-QwPqBolAy7t6RvPeSyeg/viewform?usp=sf_link

This is an easy survey taking only a few minutes and does make you ask yourself why you keep bees. It is worth doing if it will aid research into attitudes of beekeepers to the environment.

And don't forget our upcoming AGM:

The AGM of the Dorset Beekeepers' Association will be held on Saturday 16th March at 2:30pm at the Colliton Club in Dorchester.

The AGM is open to all members of Dorset Beekeepers and that includes all those who are members of any of the Dorset Associations.

The AGM is your opportunity to take part in the direction which Dorset Beekeepers may take over the next year. There are also vacancies for for several roles on the Council.

This is your chance to make a change.

This year two nests of Asian Hornet were found in Dorset and destroyed.

How many did we miss?

How many Queens are out there hibernating ready to start again in the Spring?

It is with these questions in mind that the South West Beekeepers Forum is organising an Asian Hornet Conference in January 2024 in Bridgwater.

• The list of speakers is on the web and is impressive including
  • Megan Seymour - from the NBU
  • Alistair Christie - from Jersey where they have loads of experience
  • Dr. Peter Kennedy - from Exeter University
  • Dr. Sandra Rojas Nossa- on the impact of Asian Hornet on biodiversity
  • Quentin Rome - on the impact of Asian Hornet in France
  • Bob Hogge - on the impact of Asian Hornet on beekeepers.
• The conference is in Bridgwater TA6 6LQ
• The cost to participate in the workshops is £10
• The date of the event is the 6th January 2024
• Full details are here.
• Tickets are selling well and with just 300 places available I suggest booking early.

This week I was at the Dorchester and Weymouth Beekeepers AGM. Now an AGM is not something you normally enjoy but I must say it was great fun. This is often the case when beekeepers get together.

There is another chance this month for beekeepers to get together and that is the Dorset Beekeepers Convention at the end of this month. There are some excellent speakers and there will also be opportunities for you to chat to other beekeepers and swap tales. I do hope you will be able to attend - it should be a very worthwhile day.

• When? Sunday 29th October 09:30 to 17:00
• Where? Blandford School DT11 7SQ
• Who?
  • Stephen Fleming on Drone CAs
  • Margaret Murdin on Bee Genetics
  • Anne Rowberry on BBKA Trustees
  • Robert Whittick on Bee Keeper to Bee Farmer
  • Kevin Pope on the Asian Hornet situation
• Extras: Thornes, Northern Bee Books, Vita, Dorset Wildlife Trust, 
• More Extras: Tea and Coffee
• Cost: £8 to DBKA members and £10 to all others.
• Tickets: from here.

A chance to get together and meet Dorset Beekeepers and hear some inspiring speakers. I suggest getting your tickets as soon as possible.

When?: Sunday 29th October from 09:30 to 17:00 - a full day of interest.

Where?: Blandford School, Milldown Road, Blandford Forum DT11 7SQ

Why?: Stephen Fleming will talk on Drone CAs
Margaret Murdin will be talking on "Bee Genetics Made Simple",
Anne Rowberry on "What We Can Expect From Our Dedicated BBKA Trustee
Kevin Pope on An Update to the Asian Hornet Invasion
Robert Whittick on "From Beekeeper to Bee Farmer.

And Exhibitors?: Northern Bee Books, Thornes, Vita, an Asian Hornet Stand, Dorset Wildlife Trust

What about refreshments? Tea and Coffee on arrival, Afternoon Tea, but bring your own lunch.

The cost? It costs £8.00 for Dorset BKA members and £10 for non-members.

Tickets?: These can now be obtained from Ticket Tailor at Dorset Beekeeping Convention.

The Asian Hornet is here in Dorset as well as other parts of the UK.

Why does this matter? - The Asian Hornet can destroy a hive very quickly.

What do they do? - They hover, called hawking, outside the hive entrance. They will grab a honey bee near the hive. They rip of the wings and eat the body -a useful bag of protein.

How does this affect the hive? - Firstly the Asian Hornet is eating foraging bees. The colony soon becomes aware of this threat and they will not leave the hive. The result is the hive could starve.

But why target bees? - Well a honey bee is a social insect and a colony will have many thousand flying bees. Once an Asian Hornet finds a hive it has found a ready supply of food. Much easier to hawk outside a hive rather than go hunting for solitary bees or bumble bees.

What can we do to stop them? - Learn what an Asian Hornet looks like. Look for them if you are out walking. Some have been spotted by people dog walking and others whilst sitting in the garden.

How do I recognise one? - They are bigger than a wasp but smaller than a European Hornet. They have yellow legs, an orange face and a single yellow band across their abdomen.

And if I see one? - If you have a Smart phone then download the "Asian Hornet Watch App" for iPhone or Android from your usual app store. That has pictures of the Asian Hornet and other insects with which it can be confused.

What else can I do with the app?- If you can get a photo of it then the app can send that off along with your location and time you took the photo. If it confirmed as an Asian Hornet things will happen.

But I don't have a smart phone. Then there is an online reporting tool here.

What things will happen?- DEFRA will be alerted and they will send a team to track down the nest and destroy it. They then analyse the nest to see if it is an isolated nest or one of several in the area.

Is the Asian Hornet dangerous to humans? - Like many insects their aim is to survive and they only get aggressive if you are threatening them or their nest. They are bigger than bees or wasps so they carry more sting venom. If they are threatened they may group together and attack on you - beware.

What about the nests? - The nest looks like a wasp nest. If you do spot one then make a note of where it is and move away. Report it using the app and let professionals deal with it.

Any other tips? - I have been called out several times to suspected sightings. They often fly too fast to see clearly. Take a video of them flying then go through it frame at a time. That helps.

Can't we just ignore them? No. They will start by killing many of our honey bees and without local honey bees where will you be able to get pure local honey.

Where can I find out more?- Beebase is useful as is the BBKA