Traps to catch Asian hornets at wastewater sites in Kent
The insects can be a danger to our bees and wasps
Extra steps are being taken to find and reduce the risk of Asian hornets, following an influx of the creatures at waste water treatment sites in Kent and East Sussex.
Southern Water have teamed up with the Asian Hornet Alert group to install traps for the insects at ten sites across both counties.
The invasive species aren't a huge risk to humans but they pose a big risk to our bees and wasps, with a nest able to eat up to 11kg of insects every summer season.
Asian Hornets arrive in mainland UK by hitchhiking on ships, trains and lorries, and even thanks to high winds.
Due to the mild winter, experts believe many Hornets will have been able to successfully hibernate in the South East and now be reawakening locally.
Michelle Elliot, Volunteer for Asian Hornet Alert, said:
“Last autumn, we asked Southern Water to install Asian Hornet selective traps around their Wastewater Treatment Sites based in Kent and East Sussex as these were hotspot areas. Asian Hornets like water nearby, with trees and hedges, particularly brambles, being the perfect places to build their nests.
“Being able to team up with Southern Water for this pilot scheme means we will be able to monitor areas that the public would not normally have access to.
"The Asian Hornet is very aggressive if their nest is disturbed or threatened and can eat up to 50 bees a day. You may hear a hornet, due to the sound they make, before you see it.”
It is hoped that the traps set up late last year will catch their queens. Each queen caught stops a nest being established, which if allowed to happen can result in the production of a further 300 queens for the following season.
Matt Wagstaff, Environmental Advisor at Southern Water said:
“Our Asian Hornet pilot scheme aims to help the Asian Hornet Alert group monitor more areas across nine sites in Kent and one in East Sussex.
"If the scheme proves to be successful, it has the potential to be rolled out to a wider area.
"As concerning as their presence can be for our local insect population, I would urge our customers and communities not to take any action into their own hands. Instead, leave it to the experts and don’t put yourself at risk."