Hornet Attack!

I wasn’t ready for this! I should say I wasn’t ready to see two of my hives covered in the Japanese giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica).

Since spring I have seen a few buzzing around but taking zero interest in the hives, Well the giant hornet that is, the yellow hornet (Vespa simillima) has been testing the bees defences over the summer months but never attacking the hives in great numbers.

Armed with a fly swat I attempted to rid the hive from the attacking hornets. Not a brilliant plan, but the only thing I could do. Of course it didn’t work the Hornets turned their attention to me, luckily I was wearing my thick motorbike pants and jacket (I hadn’t planned fight hornets)

After killing about five hornets, yes five. I decided that my “swat and run” strategy was not gonna work and I was probably going to die. ( giant hornets kill up to 50 people per year in Japan).

Anyway not to tempt fate, I decided to go and buy the best weapon known to the Japanese beekeeper. No, not a flamethrower. A mousetrap, a sticky…. very sticky mousetrap.

Final result : 250 dead hornets, One hive lost. One hive saved but damaged, the hornets chewed through wood to enter the hive.