Yellow-legged Asian hornets cause three important problems for humans: they love eating bees, especially honey bees; if you get too close to a nest they can be very aggressive; and they are voracious predators of our native insects.
There has been much research since I published the first edition in 2019. This updated and expanded version is divided into three parts: it starts with ‘Biology’, looking in detail at what we know so far of their life history and ecology. I give no apology for the depth of this section; only by understanding their natural history can we hope to control them without upsetting the ecological balance. The ‘Context’ gives information on the story as it has unfolded in Europe (including the UK); and in ‘Control’, national strategies, tracking, destruction of nests, trapping and other methods are discussed, as well as how to deal with them as a beekeeper.
This is a book for beekeepers, naturalists and anyone interested in invasive alien species.
With colour photos and illustrations throughout, this is a book for both the armchair and the rucksack.
This is the fully updated second edition of ‘The Asian Hornet Handbook’. Dr Sarah Bunker has a PhD in insect flight and has been a beekeeper in Devon for many years.