Asian Hornet – The Next Phase
There is now a wealth of on-line information on the hornet and how to deal with it; beekeepers are bombarded with information – talks, videos, forums, all giving advice. But just how reliable is that information? More and more scientific papers are being published on the subject but can we even rely on them? Andrew Durham explains where his information comes from and why you should avoid the ever-increasing bombardment of misinformation.
As the Asian hornet continues to spread across the country, many beekeepers are keen to get more involved in the fight against the hornet, arguing that we cannot stand by and do nothing; but is that the best thing to do? Andrew presents evidence from Switzerland where beekeepers in some cantons formally took over the task of track & trace and nest destruction, from Jersey and from southern Belgium (where authorities have helped beekeepers set up nest destruction teams specifically to protect apiaries). We’ll see how they have got on.
Beekeepers are acutely aware of the importance of maintaining the balance of our biodiversity but have lobbyists taken over the dialogue to the extent that they now pose a threat to that balance? Andrew argues that in their crusade to save everything they have made things worse.