The Role of BBKA Associations and Beekeepers concerning Asian Hornets

The BBKA is asking every Association to select a team of members to assist with local requests for help in identifying Asian Hornets. It is vital that all beekeepers are able to identify Asian Hornets.

Each branch or group can establish their own team so that individuals will not be asked to travel vast distances. They should establish a good communication network between each other, so that the nearest team member can answer a call about a potential siting and call for back up if necessary.  The team will work with a co-ordinator to help identify the hornets. The co-ordinator must be recorded as an Officer on the eR2 membership database.  The map below shows all Asian Hornet Co-ordinators.

The BBKA have amended their standard insurance so that members are covered for work they might do as part of an Asian Hornet Team.   As with the insurance generally, this covers officers and members who are Registered, Partner or Honorary members.  It does not cover 'local only' members.

The online Asian Hornet Team Training Exercise is no longer required for insurance purposes.  The BBKA office will no longer inform branches of any of their members who have taken the test and there is no requirement to record it locally.  The training exercise will continue to be publicly available (using the link below) primarily as an education and public awareness tool.  Anyone who does the training exercise will receive a confirmation email that they have completed the test but this is purely for their own use.

Asian Hornet Training Exercise

Legend: blue pin = AHT Co-ordinator (Team Leader)

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Asian Hornet Alert WhatsApp Group

Get the latest Asian Hornet news stories sent straight to your WhatsApp on your computer- all you need to do is click the link below. 

https://chat.whatsapp.com/KtHEKzoayn46VwwK0isFco

Or if you use WhatsApp on your mobile phone, join using the QR code below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ka6gHM65YaigItlnCAu5MK6-XuYu1kD-Gj5v2-MCM38/edit

No one will be able to see who's receiving our broadcasts and no one else can send messages except for the BBKA Asian Hornet Administrator.  You can leave the group any time you like.  Please ask all members of your AH Teams to join. 

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What Does the Team do?

• Form a communication network of people confident in identifying what could be an Asian Hornet
• Know how to report a suspected hornet
• Distribute identifying literature  and inform individuals, businesses, markets gardeners etc in their area about Asian Hornets and how to report them
• Know how to set up open bait stations and advise the public about monitoring them (from a distance) if they are in suitable places such as a garden
• Provide contact numbers so that hornets can be reported
• Establish monitoring traps in their area or when directed by bee inspector.

Each team should be organised with contact numbers and a team leader who can be contacted by an Area Association Coordinator. (This will facilitate easier dissemination of information).

Associations should encourage their members to register on BeeBase and to ensure that their contact and apiary details are kept up to date. If an email address is included this will ensure individuals can receive alerts from the NBU when Asian Hornets are sighted in their area.

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Available literature

The ID sheet and poster can be downloaded from the Asian Hornet pages of BeeBase or ordered from the NBU office.  There is also further useful information available on our resources page.

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Monitoring and Trapping        

• Monitoring traps can be used in the spring or late summer especially around risk points such as ports or areas where nests have occurred previously. A fact sheet on how to make an Asian hornet monitoring trap is available from the Asian hornet pages of BeeBase or see our 'How to make An Asian Hornet Trap' page.
• It would be very helpful if all beekeepers who use monitoring traps were encouraged to record their use on BeeBase by editing their apiary records.  Log into Beebase, click on 'My apiaries' and select apiary and edit those details. Scroll down to see where to list your monitoring trap information.
• It is illegal to trap and release an Asian Hornet.
  
  

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Insurance Issues

The BBKA has amended its standard insurance so that members are covered for work they might do as part of an Asian Hornet Team.  As with the insurance generally, this covers officers and members who are Registered, Partner or Honorary members.  It does not cover 'local only' members.

BUT they are NOT insured if trespassing or entering areas without the landowners permission and they are NOT insured if involved in trapping and releasing Asian Hornets as this is an illegal activity.

Asian Hornets are an invasive species and sightings must be reported. Members of the public have NO insurance through the BBKA unless participating in beekeeping activities with BBKA members.

Beekeepers involved in tracking hornets or searching for hornet nests in order to protect their bees are not insured if climbing ladders, trees or scaling buildings above the height specified in their BBKA policy concerning swarm collection.  Beekeepers should only be involved in tracking activities directed by the NBU and will not be insured if they are practically involved in Asian Hornet nest destruction, this will be undertaken by specialist Pest Controllers appointed by the NBU.

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