Beekeepers in Groningen, Friesland and Drenthe are arming themselves against the advancing Asian Hornet, the exotic giant wasp. Including special traps.
“They contain an attractant and with this we hope to catch the queens of the hornet colonies,” says beekeeper Jan Kruit, bee health coordinator in Groningen on behalf of the Dutch Beekeepers’ Association (NBV). “I already have some at my home, several other fellow beekeepers also have them. And we are going to offer them at our study day in Assen.”
Beekeepers from the North
On that day, November 11, beekeepers from the North meet and discuss various topics, but also about the Asian Hornet, the dangers of that insect and the ways to combat it.
The Asian Hornet is an exotic species and has been on the rise in Europe for several years. It attacks bee colonies, eats those bees. “And it also disrupts the pollination of fruit trees by bees, which in turn affects fruit growers,” says Kruit. “In Asia itself, the bees have developed a defense mechanism against the hornet, but not yet here. The advance of that insect is a great concern for us.”
Agreements with province
The exotic species has now appeared in Friesland and Drenthe, but not yet in Groningen. “At least we have not received any notification of it yet,” says Kruit. “We have already made agreements with the province of Groningen. As soon as the animal shows up and we find a hornet nest, the province will arrange for it to be destroyed. And we also arm ourselves with those traps.”
These are placed by beekeepers with their own bees. “If queens of the Asian hornet colonies attack our bees, because they also do that at this time of year, then hopefully they will also look for that trap. It is so constructed that they can no longer get out.”
European hornet
Kruit emphasizes that the Asian hornet is not harmful to humans. “But if it feels cornered, it can sting, like any wasp. This also applies to the European hornet, which has been here for years but does not attack bee colonies.”