SOMERSET BEEKEEPERS' ASSOCIATION
  • Home
    • Report a Swarm
  • About
    • About the SBKA
    • History
    • SBKA Council
    • Who's Who
    • Support Us
    • Donate to SBKA
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Beginners' Courses
    • Advanced Courses
    • Apiary Meetings
    • Honey Shows
    • Lectures & Workshops
  • Members
    • Joining SBKA
    • Getting Started >
      • Education >
        • How To Guides
        • Video Guides
        • Courses and Qualifications
        • Examinations
      • Introduction to Beekeeping
      • Beginners' Courses
      • Life In a Honeybee Colony
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Beekeeping Suppliers
    • Useful Links
    • Membership >
      • Benefits
      • Rules and Regs
      • Get Involved
      • Vacancies
      • County Membership
    • Members Area >
      • Members' Blog
      • AGM Info
      • Council Meetings Info
      • Financial Info
      • Lecture recordings
      • Policies
      • Year Book
    • Pests & Diseases >
      • Asian hornet
      • Hygiene
      • Reporting Foulbrood
    • SBKA Newsletters
    • Beekeeping Suppliers
    • Research
  • Divisions
    • Find Nearest Division
    • Burnham >
      • Burnham Beginners Course
      • Contact Burnham
    • Central >
      • Central Beginners Course
      • Contact Central
    • Exmoor >
      • Exmoor Beginners Course
      • Contact Exmoor
    • Frome >
      • Frome Beginners Course
      • Contact Frome
      • Frome Library
      • Frome Group Apiary
    • Mendip >
      • Mendip Beginners Course
      • Contact Mendip
    • Quantock >
      • Quantock Beginners Course
      • Contact Quantock
    • Somerton >
      • Somerton Beginners Course
      • Contact Somerton
    • South East >
      • South East Beginners Course
      • South East Newsletters
      • Contact South East
    • South West >
      • Contact South West
    • Taunton >
      • Taunton Beginners Course
      • Contact Taunton
    • Wedmore & Cheddar >
      • Wedmore & Cheddar Beginners Course
      • Contact Wedmore & Cheddar
    • Yeovil >
      • Yeovil Beginners Course
      • Contact Yeovil
  • News
    • Press Releases
    • Image Gallery
    • Resources
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Report a Swarm
    • Press & Media
    • Local Honey Search

Members' Blog

Somerset member lectures at BBKA Spring Convention 2021

14/4/2021

 
Picture
Lynne Ingram MB, Somerset's AHAT coordinator, joint events officer and Zoom pilot is lecturing at the BBKA's online Spring Convention.
Her talk, Know your enemy: Facing the Asian Hornet threat, takes place at 11.45 am on Sunday, April 18. Afterwards she will join Dr Pete Kennedy from Exeter University, who is speaking in the slot before on Asian hornets: A brief overview and new insights, and answer questions live. 
Lynne has been keeping bees for over 30 years, and currently manages 20 colonies in three apiaries. She has been involved in tracking hornets in Jersey and was a contributor to ‘The Asian Hornet Handbook’ by Sarah Bunker. 
For tickets and more information about the event, which runs from April 15-18, visit the website.  


Spring monitoring for yellow-legged asian hornets

14/4/2021

 
Picture
Picture
​In spring, as temperatures rise, Asian hornet queens (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) emerge from hibernation.
Monitoring now may identify any queens which have overwintered in the UK.
Lynne Ingram, MB and Somerset BKA’s AHAT coordinator, recommends the use of monitoring stations rather than killing traps.
She says: “This allows us to get the evidence of Asian hornets that we need, without killing our native beneficial insects, in particular European hornets.”
At this time of year Asian hornet queens will be searching for sugary foods to build up their energy rather than preying on honey bees. So, all monitoring stations should be positioned where you can easily see them and check them daily - eg outside the kitchen window, or in a sunny spot in your garden. All beneficial insects should be released from monitoring stations daily.
From mid-May Asian hornet queens will be mainly in their nests and so monitoring stations can be removed.
We suggest the adaptation of Thorne’s traps to include wick stations inside to allow wasps and small flies to escape. 
Liquid bait - get Suterra (now sold as Trappit wasp attractant) from your AHAT Team leader or buy online. If you can't get it due to current restrictions try one of these French recipes:
  • Dark beer mixed with 25ml strawberry dessert sauce and 25ml orange liqueur
  • 350ml sweet white wine (or white wine sweetened with sugar) + 20-30ml mint syrup
Please also observe your flowers where Asian hornet queens may be feeding. Any tree that oozes sap is also very attractive in spring.
If you think you have seen an Asian Hornet:
  • Take a photo (or sample)
  • If you are suspicious and you have evidence, report a sighting on the Asian Hornet Watch App or on alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk and to your local AHAT.
Adapting a monitoring station
Jersey is using a modification to the origin design to allow beneficial insects to escape. The wick pot prevents all but the smallest insects from entering from the side. They still require daily monitoring.
The trap:
  • Drill three 6mm holes in the flutings around the top of the Thorne’s trap.
  • The wick station
The wick stations in these pictures are cutdown sample pots, originally 7cm high and just under 5cm diameter. You can use other similar size small pots.
Cut the sample pot to half its height ie 3.5cm and fit the lower section through the top section base first. Place a small block of wood or similar over the top of the pot and tap the two parts together. That way you retain the screw top and the modified pot fits snuggly into the trap.
Drill a 12mm hole in the lid to take the wick which is made from paper towelling/Jeyes cloth etc. Fill with your liquid bait.
The wick pot prevents all but the smallest insects from getting down the side, and the liquid bait doesn’t evaporate so quickly. The holes in the trap allow beneficial insects to escape. Please monitor regularly.
For more information check out our Asian hornet page.
And here for resources.


    Archives

    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017

    Categories

    All
    Asian Hornets
    BBKA
    Beekeeper
    Beekeepers
    Bees
    Beginners Beekeepers
    BIBBA
    #EvidenceWeek
    Honey
    Honeybees
    Honey Show
    Local Honey
    Neonicotinoids
    Obituary
    Pollinators
    Presentations
    Save Our Bees
    SBKA Lectures
    SBKA Members
    Swarm
    Swarms
    Training

    RSS Feed

Home

EVENTS

Divisions

Contact

Picture
Somerset Beekeepers Association © 2021     Registered Charity 277803
​Affiliated to the British Beekeepers Association
​Click here to view our Privacy Policy
  • Home
    • Report a Swarm
  • About
    • About the SBKA
    • History
    • SBKA Council
    • Who's Who
    • Support Us
    • Donate to SBKA
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Beginners' Courses
    • Advanced Courses
    • Apiary Meetings
    • Honey Shows
    • Lectures & Workshops
  • Members
    • Joining SBKA
    • Getting Started >
      • Education >
        • How To Guides
        • Video Guides
        • Courses and Qualifications
        • Examinations
      • Introduction to Beekeeping
      • Beginners' Courses
      • Life In a Honeybee Colony
      • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Beekeeping Suppliers
    • Useful Links
    • Membership >
      • Benefits
      • Rules and Regs
      • Get Involved
      • Vacancies
      • County Membership
    • Members Area >
      • Members' Blog
      • AGM Info
      • Council Meetings Info
      • Financial Info
      • Lecture recordings
      • Policies
      • Year Book
    • Pests & Diseases >
      • Asian hornet
      • Hygiene
      • Reporting Foulbrood
    • SBKA Newsletters
    • Beekeeping Suppliers
    • Research
  • Divisions
    • Find Nearest Division
    • Burnham >
      • Burnham Beginners Course
      • Contact Burnham
    • Central >
      • Central Beginners Course
      • Contact Central
    • Exmoor >
      • Exmoor Beginners Course
      • Contact Exmoor
    • Frome >
      • Frome Beginners Course
      • Contact Frome
      • Frome Library
      • Frome Group Apiary
    • Mendip >
      • Mendip Beginners Course
      • Contact Mendip
    • Quantock >
      • Quantock Beginners Course
      • Contact Quantock
    • Somerton >
      • Somerton Beginners Course
      • Contact Somerton
    • South East >
      • South East Beginners Course
      • South East Newsletters
      • Contact South East
    • South West >
      • Contact South West
    • Taunton >
      • Taunton Beginners Course
      • Contact Taunton
    • Wedmore & Cheddar >
      • Wedmore & Cheddar Beginners Course
      • Contact Wedmore & Cheddar
    • Yeovil >
      • Yeovil Beginners Course
      • Contact Yeovil
  • News
    • Press Releases
    • Image Gallery
    • Resources
  • Contact Us
    • Contact Us
    • Report a Swarm
    • Press & Media
    • Local Honey Search