Alien Invaders part 2

Mr B sat me down to 'set the record straight' after my last post about alien invaders, and because I'm out and about in the apiary during the day (according to him), 'closer to nature' was how I think he put it (nice way of saying 'shut out of the house'), I am supposed to be on the look-out for these Asian Hornets.

'No, we are not in Asia', he assures me, 'but then neither are the hornets now' - apparently.  They have made themselves at home in France (next door, but further away than the neighbour's garden;  work that out) and are expanding their conquered territory each year.  The news is that we could/should soon expect to see them here in England.

England is part of an island according to Mr B, and although there is water all the way around (is there? really?!), even that is not going to deter these hornets!  Surely water is the ultimate deterent.  No?  These hornets must be tough wee customers; I'm not sure I want to be the first to encounter one.

My garden is on the south coast of England - near the water which is not going to be a deterent - and closest to this next-door France.  So it looks like we must be the first line of defence (or the first rampart that will be overwhelmed in the onslaught).

And the problem is???  Well the problem is that these hornets eat bees (my bees for instance - and other good insects) and being invaders they haven't brought their arch enemies with them - naturally - so they cannot be kept in check by the natural balances that exist in the place they emigrated from.

If that round thing hanging in the air over my beehives really is a trap.....I hope it works.

They look like this in case you are interested...

From BBKA website: http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/asian_hornet
What to look out for:

• Vespa velutina queens are up to 3 cm in length; workers up to 25 mm (slightly smaller than the native European hornet Vespa crabro)
• Entirely dark brown or black velvety body, bordered with a fine yellow band
• Only one band on the abdomen: 4th abdominal segment almost entirely yellow/orange
• Legs brown with yellow ends
• Head black with an orange-yellow face
• Vespa velutina is a day flying species which, unlike the European hornet, ceases activity at dusk