The Asian Hornet

[muddy]

This big Hornet has spread throughout Europe .
It's not agressive but if threatened its sting can be fatal .

It kills  bees 

[dextrous63]

Allegorical?

[muddy]

I hadn't thought of it that way but it is yet another plague .🙁

[dextrous63]

Haven't seen any hornets round here.  Having said that, we've been somewhat deplete in bees for a fair old while, which is a shame.  What's it like in your neck of the woods?

[JBR]

Allegorical?

Indeed.  It seems that the Hornets and the other invaders from Asia are in cahoots.

However, unlike their human compatriots, the hornets are not too happy with the climate in the frozen North...
apparently.

[klondike]

This'll take 'em down

[Mups]

I read somewhere the other day that 72 nests of these Hornets were found here last year.

I react to Gnat bites,  so Gawd knows what I'd be like to a Hornet sting!   I hope I never find out.

[muddy]

I hope not too Mups .
These hornets are big and their sting can be fatal .

[Mups]

There's a lot of info about them here, if anyone's interested.

Apparently all found nests have been destroyed - so far.


https://www.nationalbeeunit.com/about-us/beekeeping-news/2023-asian-hornet-rolling-updates/#

[Cassandra]

I found one once on my boat when moored up by the 'Maunsell Forts' in the Thames Estuary must be 25 years ago now. It was 'dozy' the body as big as my thumb with huge mandibiles. I contained myself from squashing it instead putting it in a jar with some honey and delivered it to the authorities when I docked. They had made huge nests inside the old WW2 forts and had to be exterminated by flame throwers after a good dousing of chemicals. Horrid creatures that hunt bees in aviaries and wild nests.

[JBR]

They are making their way north from their earlier homelands, no doubt because of 'global warming'.
Despite the government trying to stop this by making life difficult and more expensive for us, the climate is warming gradually and I believe cannot be reversed by building windmills!

One inevitable outcome of global warming is that such things as the Asian Hornet will find life attractive in more northern locations, including us here in the UK of course.

Who knows, at things progress, we may find crocodiles, lions, tigers and orang utans invading our once peaceful country in addition to the now-routine 'boat people'!

Quick!  Everyone buy an EV!

[muddy]

Tigers - that can live quite happily in cold climates are a lot easier to spot that hornets .

[klondike]

I saw a story the other day that some DNA had been found proving the big cats out in the wild in the UK stories that have been going around for years. Might have been in the Express or Mail though....

[JBR]

Re. hornets.  I have read that the Asian hornet is not only slightly smaller than the European hornet, but also is less likely to sting unless provoked.
I think the best advice is to completely avoid any wasp (or hornet) nests completely.
Even bee nests can be dangerous.  My brother-in-law, down in Plymouth, who keeps bees has inevitably been stung despite taking the usual precautions.

[klondike]

I had a wasp nest in the loft of a bungalow just before going on holiday. I paid somebody to get rid of it but watched carefully. Next time i did the job successfully myself without getting stung. 

Not so lucky with an underground nest when I got stung just inspecting it. I did get my revengle though. I just used the powder you get from DIY or garden shops and putted it into the nests. I had to do that through a long tube for the roof one. I forget exactly what I used to blow it in - maybe a reversible vacuum cleaner. Certainly with me gaffer tape would have figured somehow. The pest controller had a custom tool for the job.