This Friday, April 26, in the peaceful countryside near Châteauroux-Déols airport, a perceptible buzz touches the senses. It is the familiar sound of bees, those of Philippe Fauchère, amateur beekeeper from Castelroussin and member of the beekeepers’ union of Indre and Berry. Near the apiary, a small wooden chest catches the eye. Inside, prisoners and dead from stress, are the feared enemies of the foragers: two Asian hornets and a European hornet.
“This operation must not be limited to a sword in the water”
Recently installed, the trap of Philippe Fauchère, amateur beekeeper, had already trapped two Asian hornets and a European hornet this Friday.
© (Photo NR, Matthieu Renard)
This Friday, 500 traps intended to capture Asian hornets were distributed by the Department of Indre to the beekeepers’ union. An unprecedented initiative, highlighting the firm determination to combat the proliferation of this invasive species, the first specimens of which appeared in France in 2004.
Selective traps
In the presence of several beekeepers, members of the union, Marc Fleuret detailed the reasons for this support: “After several discussions, we thought about how to set up an effective operation against Asian hornets – a worrying phenomenon for our beekeepers – but also thoughtful. This operation should not be limited to a sword in the water. » These traps, specially designed for professionals, are placed as close as possible to the hives. The principle is simple: a bait is placed in a tank, composed of a mixture of beer, white wine to keep the bees away, and syrup. A filter grid lets bees, butterflies, flies, etc. enter and exit. Only the Asian hornet will be blocked. Stressed, he quickly succumbs to another grid which prevents him from drowning in the bait and soiling it.
3
This is in kilos, the weight of insects consumed by a single hornet’s nest. Knowing that 40% of their diet is made up of bees, this is equivalent to more than a kilo of bees, or around 10,000 individuals. On average, a hive is made up of 40,000 pollinators.
Each trap costs €21, or a total investment of €10,500 for the 500 traps. “This device is among the most selective in terms of capture”, specifies one of the beekeepers, Jean-François Fradet. Beyond the financial investment, this is a decisive step towards more precise and proactive management of this scourge that the Department is carrying out. By creating a monitoring and evaluation network, it will provide a clearer overview of the situation of the Asian hornet in Indre. Philippe Fauchère nevertheless assures that“We must not have any illusions, we will not eradicate the hornet. Until now, we had no weapons to fight. But from now on, with these traps, we will at least be able to reduce the pressure on our hives. Each beekeeper will fill out a sheet on the number of hornets caught and when, in order to have good monitoring. »
A bait is placed in a tank, composed of a mixture of beer, white wine to repel bees, and syrup. A grid on the trap prevents hornets from drowning in it and contaminating the bait.
© (Photo NR, Matthieu Renard)
“None of us were spared”
For beekeepers, the stakes are high, as Jean-Michel Prompt, president of the Indre and Berry union, points out: “We have suffered and continue to suffer significant losses of hives due to these predators. In August and September, when the nests are at their peak, attacks increase. The hornets form a real barrier at the entrance to the hives, disrupting the activity of the bees which find themselves in defensive mode rather than in the pollination phase. Since their arrival twenty years ago, none of us have been spared. »
According to Didier Kerner, a retired beekeeper, the problem is that “Most nests are discovered in September, but at this stage they are often empty, the hornets having abandoned the site”. The idea is therefore rather to install these traps upstream from February to capture the founding queens, hidden during the winter.
Activities of the beekeepers union
> The Indre and Berry beekeepers’ union has existed for more than fifty years. Previously, it was called the union of beekeepers of Center and Berry.
> During the last general assembly, 150 members were identified, including around forty professionals. “A record number”, according to the president. However, the number of members’ hives has dwindled. While 9,500 hives are recorded today, thirty years ago, this number rose to 25,000.
> For six years, the union has regularly organized training for its members on various subjects such as the fight against the hornet, changing queens, diseases, harvest, etc.
How to recognize an Asian hornet?
> The Asian hornet is easily recognizable. Adults are black in color and their thorax is entirely black-brown and has brown abdominal segments, bordered by a thin yellow band. Its head is black, its face is orange-yellow, and its legs have yellow tips. The Asian hornet stretches over 3 cm in length, so it is a little smaller than its European counterpart (4 cm).
> During an attack, this hornet can decimate more than 40 bees.
> People with allergies may experience swelling, respiratory complications, anaphylactic shock and angioedema.
