The Lincolnshire Bee Keepers Association (LBKA) say they're 'extremely concerned' about the rise in Asian hornets which they fear could spread across the county. Asian hornets are a destructive invasive species and specialise in preying on honeybee hives as well as other vital pollinators.
The hornets kill honeybees and feed them to their young. One Asian hornet alone can kill 60 to 90 honey bees per day and dozens of them could 'hawk' a hive, simultaneously decimating the bees. Despite the risk to native insects, the Asian hornet does not pose a greater danger to people and will not sting unless provoked.
More than 70 nests were discovered last summer, mostly in Kent, but including several in London and two in Yorkshire. The LBKA predicts that it is likely the hornets will reach Lincolnshire at some point.
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Stewart Maher, Lincolnshire's Asian hornet coordinator, said: "This is a perilous situation for honeybees and other insect life in Lincolnshire. That’s why we are calling on everyone in the county to be vigilant, be aware of and report Asian hornet sightings by taking a photo and using the Asian hornet watch app on your iPhone.
"We are now extremely concerned that they will spread throughout the UK and Lincolnshire, and if they do it’s vital to eliminate them before they can establish themselves further. You can identify an Asian hornet by its very distinct markings – yellow lower legs and a largely black body and twice the size of a common wasp."
A team of four volunteers from the LBKA are heading over to the Channel Islands in mid-September to work with the Jersey Asian Hornet Action Team, who have been mounting an extensive fight against the Asian hornet for eight or nine years to learn firsthand the methods of fighting the predator.
The LBKA group this year comprises members from Sleaford, Boston, Stamford and North Lincolnshire with a further party of four planned for 2025 representing Lincoln, Grantham, Horncastle and Louth, meaning all corners of the county will be protected.
Peter Verdigaal, member of the LBKA for Boston District, said: "The Asian hornet is an ecological disaster. The past few years have been a ticking time bomb for bees, with climate change, intensive farming and the decrease in flora and fauna all adding up - but it is beyond devastating that we saw the numbers of Asian hornet nests increase dramatically in Britain last year.
"This is an invasive species; our bees do not have any defences against them - but we at LBKA are taking steps to protect them. We can be their defence."
