FI14742

Request

  1. Following the discovery of nests in the county last year, what steps are the council taking to manage the threat of Asian Hornets?
  2. What is the Council's strategy to prevent Asian Hornets becoming naturalised in the area?
  3. What steps are being taken to manage the risk to public health posed by Asian Hornets?
  4. What steps are being taken to manage the risk to local honeybee populations?
  5. How have numbers of local honeybee populations changed in the last three years? (2021, 2022, 2023)

Response

  1. The Council are working with DEFRA and the Bee Keeping Association to monitor and control any Asian hornets that appear on the nature reserves we manage. We have put out traps across the main site that they were located at last year. We check these traps on a weekly basis and will inform the BKA of any Asian hornets that appear in the traps.  
  2. We are following all advice given to us by DEFRA and the local bee keeping association.
  3. Asian hornet presence is well known in the local area. Leaflets are available in venues and shops across the local area to raise local people’s awareness of the species and to help them ID and report any they may spot. This also includes information on the risk they pose.
  4. As above
  5. The Council do not hold this information as we do not monitor honey bee populations.