Asian Hornet Identification
Try our Asian Hornet quiz intended to help you recognise Asian Hornets and to ensure you know what to do if you should see one.
Each time you try the quiz it will give you a different mix of questions.
Congratulations!! You obviously have a good knowledge of how to identify Asian Hornet, and what to do about it if you do find one. Please be vigilant during the summer months and use your knowledge to help keep all our bees safe. Ooops! If you scroll down the page, you can see the correct answers and an explanation for those which were not correct. You can find more information about Asian Hornet at the National Bee Unit website Beebase. Why not take a look and then come back and have another go at our quiz. It is important that all beekeepers can identify the Asian Hornet quickly and accurately if we are going to keep our bees safe. Asian Hornets will defend their nests vigorously. Do not approach any nest you may find. Report the nest location using the Asian Hornet Watch application. If possible, include a photo of the nest or any flying insects. It is important that beneficial insects are not trapped and killed while monitoring for the presence of Asian Hornet. At this stage of hornet invasion into the UK, if thousands of killing traps were set across the country, then the damage caused by the traps would be far greater than the damage being caused by the Asian Hornet. This is a Giant Wood Wasp photographed in Cheshire. The yellow legs can cause confusion as one of the key identification features for the Asian Hornet is it’s yellow legs. If possible sightings should be reported through the Asian Hornet Watch Application, available for free download to Android and iPhone mobiles. Other methods of reporting the hornet include using the NNSS online notification form or you can send any suspect sightings to the Non Native Species email address alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk Where possible, a photo, the location of the sighting and a description of the insect seen should be included. These are European Hornets. You can see the multiple yellow banding on the hornets’ abdomens. The Asian Hornet thorax is velvety black or very dark brown. The latin name of the Asian Hornet, Vespa velutina nigrithorax is based on it’s black thorax. Three of the photos are of Asian Hornet nests. The fourth is a European Hornet nest. The nests are similar in appearance, especially from a distance. Asian Hornets are between 25 – 30mm long
Results
TRY THE QUIZ AGAIN
#1. What should you do if you find an Asian Hornet nest?
#2. In addition to catching Asian Hornets, what is most important about the use of a monitoring trap?
#3. What is this insect?
#4. What is the preferred way to report a possible sighting?
#5. Identify the insects entering this tree
#6. What colour is the Asian Hornet’s abdomen?
#7. What colour is the Asian Hornet’s thorax?
#8. What colour are the Asian Hornet’s legs?
#9. Which of the following is NOT an Asian Hornet nest?
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Photos courtesy The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Crown Copyright
#10. How long is an Asian Hornet worker (head to tail)?
You can find out more about Asian Hornet HERE or on the National Bee Unit website.