Mid Cheshire Branch meeting – Asian Hornet

Our next branch meeting will be held at Hartford Methodist Church Hall on Monday 6th September (start time 7.30pm) when Graham Royle will make a presentation on the Asian Hornet. His talk will cover the biology of the Asian Hornet, how it has spread across Europe and into the UK, the risks to our bees, how we can detect it and what we can do about it.

Although we are fortunate to be not yet significantly affected by Asian Hornets in Cheshire, this predator is a major threat to honeybees as beekeepers just across the Channel in France are well aware. Record high figures of the pest have been reported this year in the Channel Islands and it is essential that we are all aware of the devastation it can cause if it becomes established in the UK.

By coincidence our meeting on 6th September is being held on the first day of BBKA Asian Hornet Week (6-12th September), a key aim of which is to raise public awareness of the threat the hornet poses to honeybees in the UK. We are very fortunate that Graham is one of the few folk in the UK who has direct experience of this pest having already been involved with the destruction of Asian Hornet nests.

This meeting will be our first indoor F-2-F event since before the pandemic and, although the legal requirements imposed during the pandemic have now been lifted, Hartford Methodist Hall is still asking users to follow government guidelines where possible. We will therefore increase the spacing between chairs, try to ensure good ventilation throughout the building, encourage members to wear face coverings and to sanitise hands when entering the hall. As before, we will be providing light refreshments after Graham’s talk. Therefore, in order to help with preparations for the meeting could I kindly request you to e-mail Stuart Forbes in advance if you are planning to attend this event (contact details available in the ‘members only’ area of the website).