Somerset BKA: AGM - 12 March, 2022

Dr Pete Kennedy (pictured), a Research Fellow at The University of Exeter's Environment and Sustainability Institute, will give us an update on current Asian hornet research and spread in Europe at our AGM on Saturday, 12 March, 2022.
The AGM will be hosted by Burnham division at Burnham and Berrow Golf Club, St. Christopher's Way, Burnham-on-Sea TA8 2PE.  Members are very welcome to attend for both the lunch and the lecture which precede the AGM; there will obviously be no charge for lunch if you choose to attend just the lecture and AGM.
A two course carvery costs £19 and numbers are required by Friday 4 March 2022.  Tea and coffee will be available at extra charge. Please pay by bank transfer to:
The Burnham and District Beekeepers
Sort code 30-91-20
Account 00881608
If you have any further queries please contact Richard Tiley from Burnham Division at [email protected] 
Dr Kennedy's talk examines the Asian hornet Vespa velutina, an invasive alien species, that is rapidly spreading through parts of Europe. Living in large nests of 5,000 to 20,000 individuals, Asian hornets are voracious predators of insects – including honey bees, wild bees and wasps.  They are having a significant impact on the viability of beekeeping and honey production in mainland Europe, and they have been poised to spread into the UK over the last five years, where they could pose a significant threat to both wild and managed pollinators. This could jeopardise the essential pollination service these species provide to crops and wild flowers.
"Efforts to halt or limit the spread of the Asian hornet in the UK are reliant upon finding and destroying nests as soon as possible. In 2017, in response to a request by Defra, we developed a new method for finding Asian hornet nests, by radio-tracking individual hornets as they flew back to their nests (Kennedy et al 2018). We now have two research projects, collaborating with our European partners (funded by BBSRC and funded by EU Interreg Atlantic Area) to further develop this technique and find new ways of managing the spread of the Asian Hornet.  At the same time, we are actively measuring and modelling the potential impact of this invasive species on wild and managed pollinators to understand the level of threat posed by this invasive species."
 Timetable:
1200hrs - Arrive
12.30hrs - Two course carvery lunch
1400hrs - Welcome
14.05hrs - Lecture: "Asian hornets: An update on current research and spread in Europe" with Dr Pete Kennedy from Exeter University.
15.5hrs - Afternoon tea
15.30hrs - AGM