Somerset Beekeepers’ Association and Exmoor National Park Authority are today (September 4) calling on the public to be on the lookout for yellow-legged Asian hornets which pose a serious threat to honeybees and other pollinators.
Beekeepers, supported by Exmoor National Park staff, have been investigating an as yet unconfirmed sighting of the highly invasive Vespa velutina nigrithorax in the Minehead area.
Asian Hornet Week runs from September 9 to 15 throughout the UK and coincides with a good opportunity to prevent the destructive insects getting a foothold.
Anne Pike, chairman of SBKA, said: “Vigilance is a cornerstone of our defence strategy and we want to mobilise the county to be on the lookout throughout September and October to protect the environment we treasure so much.”
Somerset Beekeepers have set up 12 Asian hornet action teams, which cover the county, to follow-up reported sightings and educate the public.
Ali Hawkins, Exmoor National Park Wildlife Conservation Officer, said: “There is a real risk to our own native honeybee and European hornet if these alien species are allowed to take hold. Given the many pressures on our precious pollinators, including climate change, habitat destruction and pesticide use, it’s vital we do all we can to support them by reporting sightings. A good quality photo gives the best chance of tracking down the nest to prevent further invasions and Autumn represents the most likely time to see them on the wing.”
People in both rural and urban environments are urged to check plants which are in flower and attracting insects in the coming weeks, such as ivy.
Anne Pike added: “The difficulty of protecting the UK from Asian hornets is underlined by Jersey’s experience. The first Asian hornet was spotted on the island in 2016 and, in spite of the efforts of local beekeepers and volunteers, this year they have caught 69 queens, discovered 54 nests and are still looking for more.”
The Asian hornet has a distinctive orange face and yellow tipped legs and is smaller than the bright yellow striped European hornet.
Asian hornets are a notifiable invasive species and should be reported immediately, preferably with a photo using:

• the Asian Hornet Watch app
• email asianhornet@somersetbeekeepers.org.uk or alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
• online at www.nonnativespecies.org/alerts/asianhornet

Somerset beekeepers are taking their Asian hornet roadshow to Taunton Farmers’ Market in High Street on Thursday, September 12 and at Somerset County Show at Taunton Racecourse on September 21 and 22. 

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Anne Pike, Chairman of Somerset Beekeepers’ Association, tel: 07971 275840; email: chairman@somersetbeekeepers.org.uk
Ailsa Stevens, Communications Officer, Exmoor National Park Authority, tel: 01398 322244, mob: 07772 092128, email: astevens@exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk
Pic cap: An Asian hornet foraging on ivy in Brittany. Photo credit: Stewart Gould, Somerset Beekeepers’ Association
 
Notes to editors:
Somerset Beekeepers’ Association is a Registered Charity run by volunteers and works to advance the craft of apiculture within its membership and to promote general awareness and understanding of honeybees.
Asian hornets (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) are slightly smaller than native European hornets and look like large black wasps with orange face and yellow legs:

• An Asian hornet queen is up to 30mm long; workers are up to 25mm long.
• Asian hornets are dark brown or black with a velvety body and the abdomen is almost entirely black except for a yellow fourth abdominal segment. Legs are brown with yellow ends.

The Asian hornet is active mainly between April and November (peak August/September) and is inactive over the winter.
A single Asian hornet can kill 50 bees a day, with a nest containing up to 6,000 workers and up to 350 queens.
In Jersey, France and large areas of Western Europe they are stripping the environment bare of insects before moving on to prey on managed honeybee colonies.
Asian hornets are a notifiable invasive species and should be reported immediately with photo using:

• the Asian Hornet Watch app
• by email asianhornet@somersetbeekeepers.org.uk or altertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
• online at www.nonnativespecies.org/alerts/asianhornet

 
About Exmoor National Park Authority - www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov.uk
First designated in 1954, Exmoor National Park has an amazing variety of landscapes within its 267 square miles – stunning coast, moorland, woodland, valleys and farmland and more than 800 miles of rights of way to enjoy. It is one of 15 National Parks in the United Kingdom and in 2011 was designated Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve.
Exmoor National Park Authority works in partnership with the community, local councils, businesses and other organisations to look after the National Park and promote its conservation and enjoyment. Donations to CareMoor for Exmoor are gratefully received towards the upkeep of the National Park and its special qualities.
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​Somerset Beekeepers’ Association is calling on visitors to the Royal Bath & West Show, which starts tomorrow (May 30) at Shepton Mallet, to be on the alert for a major threat to the UK’s pollinators.
For the first time they are running an interactive exhibit about the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) in the Show’s popular Bees & Honey Feature.
Association chairman Anne Pike said: “We want gardeners, farmers, walkers and all countryside-lovers, as well as beekeepers, to be on high alert for the imminent arrival of Asian hornets.
“These hornets look like black wasps with yellow tipped legs and are as devastating to pollinators as foot and mouth disease was to livestock.
“In France, where Asian hornets arrived in 2004, honey production is down by 50 per cent reflecting the impact these non-native and highly invasive insects are having on honeybee numbers.”
Members of the newly-formed Asian Hornet Action Team will be on hand to talk to visitors about the hornet and explain how to correctly identify them. In addition to large information banners, there will be glass cases displaying Asian hornets next to European hornets and honeybees, identification leaflets to take away and children’s colouring-in sheets.
Master Beekeeper Lynne Ingram, who heads up the Action Team, added “The greatest resource we have in fighting the Asian (yellow legged) hornet are members of the public. They are our eyes. Come into the tent and find out what an Asian hornet looks like. This time of year, look out for tiny embryo nests in sheds or garages. If you wait you will see the queen returning to feed her larvae. In June the workers will emerge and you may find them drinking nectar on flowers. If you see one, take a photo and report it on the Asian Hornet Watch app or contact asianhornet@somersetbeekeepers.org for further advice.”
In addition, Somerset Beekeepers will be demonstrating the invaluable role honeybees play in the pollination of the nation’s best-loved food crops including apples and strawberries.
Somerset members, together with beekeepers from Avon and Wiltshire, will be taking part in a highly competitive honey show, will run candle rolling for children, offer free honey tasting and advice about all aspects of beekeeping. In addition, visitors will have plenty of opportunities to see honeybees at work in observation hives, where bees are behind glass, and in the outdoor bee garden where beekeepers will demonstrate behind protective netting.
To find out more visit Somerset Beekeepers’ website: https://www.somersetbeekeepers.org.uk/
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For further information contact:
Anne Pike, Chairman of Somerset Beekeepers’ Association, tel: 07971 275840;
Lynne Ingram, Co-ordinator of Somerset’s Asian Hornet Action Team, tel: 07846 165877
Notes to editors:
Somerset Beekeepers’ Association is a Registered Charity run by volunteers and works to advance the craft of apiculture within its membership and to promote general awareness and understanding of honeybees.
Asian hornets (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) are slightly smaller than native European hornets and look like large black wasps with orange face and yellow legs:

• An Asian hornet queen is up to 30mm long; workers are up to 25mm long.
• Asian hornets are dark brown or black with a velvety body and the abdomen is almost entirely black except for a yellow fourth abdominal segment. Legs are brown with yellow ends.

The Asian hornet is active mainly between April and November (peak August/September) and is inactive over the winter.
A single Asian hornet can kill 50 bees a day, with a nest containing up to 6,000 workers and up to 350 queens.
In Jersey, France and large areas of Western Europe they are stripping the environment bare of insects before moving on to prey on managed honeybee colonies.
Asian hornets are a notifiable invasive species and should be reported immediately with photo using:
Asian Hornet Watch app
asianhornet@somersetbeekeepers.org.uk
alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk
 
 

​Somerset’s honey crop is one of the worst for decades say members of Somerset Beekeepers’ Association (SBKA).
Some beekeepers have not harvested any honey at all, while others are substantially down on last year.
The British Beekeepers Association’s (BBKA) annual Honey Survey released today (October 23, 2017) reveals that beekeepers in the South West saw their honey crop drop to 18 lbs per hive.
SBKA Chairman Anne Pike said: “The glorious early Spring saw colonies build up fast but when the weather turned the honey stores were quickly consumed by the growing colonies of bees.”
David Morris from Taunton has been keeping bees for 61 years and describes this season as the worst-ever and averaged just five pounds of honey per hive.
“The cause is mainly weather-related,” he said. “We had a hot June followed by a wet July when what we want is the reverse to give us plenty of blackberry and clover nectar for a summer honey flow.”
Local honey is in short supply and prices are expected to rise to reflect this season’s shortage.
“Local honey is an extraordinary, natural product – it’s usually raw (untreated), contains local pollen and is additive-free,” added Anne. “Honey doesn’t just taste different from place to place, but from hive to hive and week to week!  To use a wine term, local honey truly reflects the local terroir.”
There are two honey crops a year, one in Spring and the other at the end of the summer and one hive can produce 60lb (27 kg) in a good season. Bees fly about 55,000 miles, making more than a million visits to flowers, to make just one pound of honey.
Margaret Murdin, BBKA Chairman, concludes: “Everyone can play a part in helping honey bees and all the other insects they love such as butterflies and bumble bees by planting the right sort of flowers and shrubs. Check the label to see that anything you plant will be rich in nectar and pollen, as not all plants are equal in this respect. A crocus is so much better for bees than a daffodil, for example.
“Our survey shows that suburban gardens and urban roof tops produce some of the best honey crops, so how we garden really can make a difference.”                         
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​Somerset beekeepers have been given wildflower seeds by Burts Bees to plant new pollinator patches in their apiaries. 
Quantock, Somerton and Taunton divisions of the Somerset Beekeepers’ Association (SBKA) are planting the seeds as part of the #Bringbackthebees campaign to provide more food for honeybees.
Burts Bees, together with the British Beekeepers’ Association, is on a mission to create more pollinator-friendly habitats and has donated enough seeds to grow more than 100 million flowers. 
SBKA Chairman, Anne Pike, said: “I would like to encourage everyone to try and plant their own pollinator patch because together we can make a real difference.
“The wildflower seeds have been specially selected to provide a pollen or nectar rich diet for honeybees.
“I’d like to thank Burts Bees for providing the seeds and to the beekeepers of Quantock, Somerton and Taunton for all their help.”
Pollen is especially important to honeybees when they are at the earliest stage of development and growing their wings because it is their only source of protein.
In common with many other creatures, including people, protein is an essential building block for growth and honeybees will fail to thrive without sufficient protein from pollen in their diet. 
Loss of habitat is believed to be one of the factors behind the decline in numbers of a wide range of pollinating insects including honeybees, bumble bees and butterflies. 
The seed planting campaign is an initiative under the BBKA’s Adopt a Beehive scheme which raises funds for environmental and educational projects.
Somerset Beekeepers’ Association is made up of 12 divisions and works to advance the craft of apiculture within its membership and to promote general awareness and understanding of honeybees.