Talk: threat of the Asian hornet

Meridian Beekeepers is delighted to present a talk about the threat of the Asian Hornet by Andrew Durham of Cambridge Beekeepers.

Andrew will describe the alarming situation in France where the Asian Hornet is damaging eco-systems and affecting everybody, not just beekeepers.

Andrew will explain the lifecycle of this invasive pest and the effects of predation on honeybee populations. He’ll also cover why there are more hornets in some years and why some areas are more infested than others.

The event is free to all but please pre-register with Louise Evans at Louisewithbees@gmail.com. This is so we can keep an eye on numbers in these uncertain times and advise you of any last minute changes.

There is free parking at the Market Hall. If you are coming by train, it is a 15 minute walk downhill from Botley Station (there are no taxis there). There is also a bus stop outside the Market Hall. Botley is is on routes 3, 8, 8b and 26.

Andrew Durham is a Cambridgeshire beekeeper who has spent the last six years researching the Asian hornet. He had three main objectives;

* to understand the effect of the hornet’s predation on honeybees.

* to quantify the threat and to formulate a defence strategy building on the lessons learnt by our neighbours across the Channel since the Hornet’s arrival in France in 2004.

Andrew first became aware of the threat during travels in France. In 2015, realising that the hornet was on the verge of invading the UK, he became determined that he, and the UK generally, should benefit from the lessons learnt in France. Andrew regularly reports his findings in BBKA news.

The first sighting of an Asian Hornet in the UK was in 2016. Since then, there has been twenty confirmed sightings and ten nests have been destroyed. The last confirmed sighting was in 2021 in Ascot, Berkshire where the nest was located and destroyed. UK Government

There are links to more information on the Asian Hornet here.