European Hornets

[Jacobs]

We shall fight them on the concrete!

We shall fight them on the hives!

We shall fight them in the air!

(apologies to Winston Churchill)

[red rambler]

Looks like a very personal response.

[Jacobs]

They're back! I saw 2 European Hornets snatching honey bees at dusk this evening. I guess everything is happening early this year.

[Wally]

Badmitten racket time......

[Jacobs]

Raids are on the increase. I used my trusty cap to knock down and kill 3 hornets in front of my home hives yesterday. I was able to kill 3 of the queens very early in the season and hate to think about the number of European Hornets I would be dealing with if all had established nests.

[WannaBee1]

Anyone in Guilford County seeing European Hornets this year? I'm hearing about them doing a lot of hive damage in Union County. Does someone know if there traps for these that won't attract or harm honey bees? Thanks in advance for any information and/or advice.

[Jacobs]

I haven't seen European Hornets yet. The queens that are out early are usually quite large. If I see them at the hives and can kill them, it really cuts down on the numbers I have to contend with later in the season. I am seeing yellow jacket queens in the back yard searching for potential hive locations. They are larger than regular yellow jackets, but considerably smaller than most European Hornets.

I haven't tried traps of any kind. Old GCBA hats work fine for me when I am knocking them down on my driveway pad and stepping on them. I am a bit rusty on my swing and will need to get into practice for this season.

[llbstones]

Iv seen where you can make a bait and kill the colony. You take the ingredient (fipronil) in the dog flea med, mix it with a canned chicken/tuna type meat that the hornets/yellow jackets will go to and they take it back to colony, feed to queen/brood. Just make sure nothing else like an animal can get into it or drag it off.

[Jacobs]

I killed my first European Hornet this evening. I'll be paying the price for having missed killing a queen or two earlier this season and now have to contend with the foragers.