Japanese Hornets

[GA-BEE]

I have seen these large Yello & black wasp / hornets buzzing my hives. The most I have seen at one time is two but I watched them trying to attack my bees! My girls responded in kind and drove them off. I have seen them at the hives only twice but I am worried I will go to the hives and find my hives destroyed. I think these are the Japanese hornets that were in the video that was posted in another topic. Any suggestions? Anybody else seen these same pests?

[JohnBeeMan]

I thought they were 'European Hornets'? They are mentioned under the YellowJacket thread in Beekeeping 101. Bullseye Bill listed a link that shows a good picture of them. http://www.terminix.com/Pest/Library/Identify/index.cfm?fuseaction=category&pestCategory=Stinging&pestID=66

[Michael Bush]

So far the Japanese hornets are only in Japan. None here in North America or South America, or Europe or.....

[simplyhoney]

Hornets or not, there are several species of omnivourous "bugs" that try and rob bee hives in the fall. Yellow jackets are evil when times get tough. Perhaps you have a hornet or wasp that eats bees, honey, and or wax.

[clintonbemrose]

It sounds like Bald Faced Hornets to me. 6 of them can kill all the adults and remove the brood from a hive in about 6 hours. They eat meat and so do their larva.
Clint

------------------
Clinton Bemrose
just South of Lansing Michigan
Beekeeping sence 1964

[Tia]

I lost two hives to baldfaced hornets before I caught wise as to why my bees were disappearing! My salvation was 1/4" hardward cloth across the entrance. I tried excluders, leaving only about an inch open, but the hornets managed to get in anyway. The 1/4" totally precludes their entrance into the hive, but the bees can come and go freely. I don't think yours are baldfaced hornets--they're black and white, not black and yellow--but I'd still put the hardware cloth on!

[AstroBee]

Aren't bald-faced hornets black and white, not yellow and black? I have also seen huge yellow and black hornets attacking my hives this year. They are at least 1 inch long and were actually trying to catch my bees in mid air in front of the entrance.

[GA-BEE]

I haven't gotten close enough to them to see thier faces but thier abdomen id definately yellow and black and I assume thier face is also.
I found this link - http://www.muenster.org/hornissenschutz/hornets.htm and the Giant Hornet is what they look like.
Astro - that is what I saw them doing to my bees also - trying to catch them while they were flying out of the hive. I saw one there yesterday and he was landing on the landing board and trying to walk in the hive.
I think I will try the hardware cloth to be on the safe side.

[This message has been edited by GA-BEE (edited September 30, 2004).]

[This message has been edited by GA-BEE (edited September 30, 2004).]

[bjerm2]

How about cicada killer. They are quite large and common.

See
http://entowww.tamu.edu/fieldguide/cimg331.html

Dan

[GA-BEE]

I think I have confirmed it as being Vespa Crabro - Giant Hornet.
They do kill bees, but they are also beneficial, 90% of thier diet being flies and wasps. Can't find any documentaion stating they raid hives.

[AstroBee]

GA-BEE,

Yes, that is the hornet that I've seen around my hives. Thanks for the ID. Also see:
http://www.uark.edu/depts/entomolo/museum/crabro.html

Here it talks about Vespa crabro attacking honey bee hives.

[BULLSEYE BILL]

Looks a lot like this one too.
http://members.cox.net/bullseyebees/_sgt/m1m1_1.htm