Asian Hornet Identification
Try our quiz intended to help you recognise Yellow Legged 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. When monitoring for the presence of Asian Hornet using a trap, it is important that the trap does not kill any beneficial insects. The trap shown as the correct answer includes a mesh to prevent the trapped insects drowning in the bait. Even with this type of trap, it is important that it is checked on a daily basis and any beneficial insects are released safely. A. is a wasp B. is a honeybee C. is an Asian Hornet D. is a European Hornet These are European Hornets. You can see the multiple yellow banding on the hornets’ abdomens. 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. 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 Hornet nests can be found anywhere – in trees, in bushes, on buildings, even underground. Asian Hornets are active from April to December and so could be seen at any time during this period. However, as the nest gets bigger their requirement for protein increases. Experience over the past few years has shown that Asian Hornets are most likely to be predating on honeybee hives in late summer – August, September and into October. 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.
Results
TRY THE QUIZ AGAIN
#1. Which type of trap is recommended for Asian Hornet monitoring?
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Photo courtesy The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA), Crown Copyright
#2. Which of these images is of an Asian Hornet?
#3. Identify the insects entering this tree
#4. What is this insect?
#5. What colour is the Asian Hornet’s abdomen?
#6. 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
#7. Where would you most likely find an Asian Hornet nest?
#8. When are you most likely to see Asian Hornets hawking in front of beehives?
#9. In addition to catching Asian Hornets, what is most important about the use of a monitoring trap?
#10. What colour are the Asian Hornet’s legs?
You can find out more about Yellow Legged Asian Hornet HERE or on the National Bee Unit website.