Solitaire Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 found one of these flying round my son's bedroom this morning. Should have taken a photo but was more concerned with getting it out of the house. Had I known they were such a threat to our bees I would have captured it. I have reported it to the NNS Secretariat who want people to let them know of sightings. There was no mistaking what it was, it was huge compared to our native species. http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/asian_hornet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SarahBell Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 I was at a bee health day recently where they said they are badly described in the press and smaller than the european hornet. It might not have been one. If you think it was then report it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirGaz Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 whenever anyone mentions Asian hornets I always think of the giant Japanese buggers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_giant_hornet They scare the bejesus out of me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 I was at a bee health day recently where they said they are badly described in the press and smaller than the european hornet. It might not have been one. If you think it was then report it. I thought they were bigger. I've recently updated my UK + West European Inset field guide - bug nerd. The UK is at risk of the Asian Hornet (Vespa velutina) -smaller and darker than our (very rare) Euro Hornet (Vespa crabro) Euro Hornets are mucky yellow with brownish stripes. The Wail is getting its knickers in a twist about the Asian GIANT Hornet (Vespa mandarinia), which apparently kills 40-60 Japanese a year - Wow! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Errol Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 found one of these flying round my son's bedroom this morning. Should have taken a photo but was more concerned with getting it out of the house. Had I known they were such a threat to our bees I would have captured it. I have reported it to the NNS Secretariat who want people to let them know of sightings. There was no mistaking what it was, it was huge compared to our native species. http://www.bbka.org.uk/help/asian_hornet How big was it? The native species can be 2 inches long (Queens - who might be out and about at this time). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecrashingisles Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Vespa mandarinia sounds so much nicer than Asian Giant Hornet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Errol Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Vespa mandarinia Isn't that a type of moped? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Regular native hornets will sometimes attack bees. A handful of them can take on an entire hive. They're fearsome predators to small critters. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thecrashingisles Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-24367050 Attacks by hornets in northern China have killed 41 people since July, state-run media report. More than 1,600 people have also been injured by stings in Shaanxi province, according to China News Agency. It says 206 people are still being treated in hospital, with 37 patients remaining in a critical condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 I trod on a hornet once. It hurt. I could see it flying around the bathroom while I was in the bath. When it went away, I got out of the bath and trod on it! I don't know how foreign it was. I saw some big ones in the desert in Pakistan, when I had an all paid for month's holiday for work there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrPin Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-china-24367050 Actually there are a lot of people in China, so I suspect the chances of this happening are very slight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solitaire Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 I was at a bee health day recently where they said they are badly described in the press and smaller than the european hornet. It might not have been one. If you think it was then report it. How big was it? The native species can be 2 inches long (Queens - who might be out and about at this time). I'm pretty certain it was one. I've had a look on google images and this one was less obviously stripey and darker than others I've seen with a more orange face than yellow. edit: I did report it and have had an email back. Unsurprisingly without a photo the NNSS can't say either way and they feel it was probably the Eurasian one as there haven't been any confirmed sightings in the UK yet. So I guess I'll bow to their greater knowledge and accept it may not have been one. Just wish I'd taken a piccy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solitaire Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Hmmm had a look at the links I was sent by NNSS and although I'm now doubting what I saw, it was not one of these http://www.bwars.com/sites/www.bwars.com/files/info_sheets/Vespa-crabro-info-sheet.pdf most definitely as I've described above, coloured brown and burnt orange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rxe Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Native hornets are fecking huge, and they make an unmistakable sound when flying. I wouldn't be able to differentiate the invaders vs. natives on size alone. If it seems "orangey/brown" it is probably native. Native hornets do take bees but not in vast numbers. They'll take a bee on the wing, but rarely attack hives. Asian hornets will all pile onto a hive and wipe it out in short order if allowed to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Masked Tulip Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Did it look like this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Hmmm had a look at the links I was sent by NNSS and although I'm now doubting what I saw, it was not one of these http://www.bwars.com/sites/www.bwars.com/files/info_sheets/Vespa-crabro-info-sheet.pdf most definitely as I've described above, coloured brown and burnt orange. Where are you - roughly. Native hornets are mainly in the very South-central. new forestt mainly. Ive had a couple through my window and i found a dead one once - which i sent to my mum. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pl1 Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Saw what I thought was an Asian Hornet in a traffic jam this evening. It was friggin' huge & i just got the window closed in time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solitaire Posted June 11, 2015 Author Share Posted June 11, 2015 Where are you - roughly. Native hornets are mainly in the very South-central. new forestt mainly. Ive had a couple through my window and i found a dead one once - which i sent to my mum. Guildford area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntb Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Saw what I thought was an Asian Hornet in a traffic jam this evening. It was friggin' huge & i just got the window closed in time. They have to be pretty big to reach the pedals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Guildford area. OK, Hornet central almost. Its a EU Hornet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juvenal Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Did it look like this? You'll stir up a right hornet's nest by bringing this up again... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gigantic Purple Slug Posted June 11, 2015 Share Posted June 11, 2015 Where are you - roughly. Native hornets are mainly in the very South-central. new forestt mainly. Ive had a couple through my window and i found a dead one once - which i sent to my mum. Its certainly cheaper than flowers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rave Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Isn't that a type of moped? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vespa Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 Its certainly cheaper than flowers. Yes, it was a suprise. I should have rung her and told it was coming. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hail the Tripod Posted June 12, 2015 Share Posted June 12, 2015 OK, Hornet central almost. Its a EU Hornet. That's weird, I've lived on and off round Guildford for 40 years but only ever seen a hornet on holiday in France. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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