Re my previous mention about the Asian hornet: I’ve just seen a copy of last week’s EDP which includes a piece about the arrival of the Asian hornet in Devon this year. There had been previous reports of the occurrence of the species in the Channel Islands and Gloucestershire last year, but the nests were successfully destroyed by ‘bee inspectors’ before any new queens could disperse. It seems inevitable that this alien species will successfully colonise Britain. It is a much more active forager, with bigger colonies, than our own hornet. Entomologists in France are very gloomy about the effect it will have on local moth numbers. If anyone sees what they think might be an Asian hornet it should be reported to the National Bee Unit or Defra. It’s an easy beast to identify – a little smaller than the European hornet with a broad chestnut band on the abdomen.
Tony H.