# Video: 30 hornets vs. 30,000 bees. WARNING!!!: Violence



## Specialkayme (Sep 4, 2005)

later in the same publication they show how the honeybees defend themselves. Really interesting - they lure a scout into their hive and then ball it. Once they have it covered, they vibrate and heat up the hornet. Honey bees can survive temps 1º warmer than hornets, so the hornet ends up cooking to death.


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Yelp....here's where honey bees cook a hornet...these are Japanese honey bees, Europeans don't quiet have all the kinks worked out of doing this. The bees get up to around 117F!!!!


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

Amazing! I have seen some wasps near my hives, and kill them every chance I get. But I've never seen a hornet. Anyone know their range right off hand? and do wasps pose the same threat?


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## bullitt02797 (Aug 11, 2011)

I have a bad problem with European hornets in my area. They are absolutely huge. I was afraid for the hives that I am planning on moving to my backyard next week so I did some research on them. 

They are not aggressive towards humans unless their nest is disturbed but they can devastate honey bee populations (as seen in the video). 

I have tried setting out a few traps in the last weeks to catch them. I have not caught a single Hornet yet. However I see them almost every night crowded around the porch light. I even hung the trap from the light to no avail. I have killed about a dozen with spray every time I see one.

If anyone has any advice to get rid of them please let me know. I do not want to move me bees just to have them destroyed in a few days by these suckers. :scratch:


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

I wish I knew what to tell you about getting rid of them. One tip (that won't help now) is to put traps out in early spring when the queens come out and are looking for places to start their colonies...get the queen before she starts producing.

What type of trap have you tried so far? I'm looking to get/make some, but had rather get some personal recommendations rather than go by advertising smoke (for the retail ones).

Ed


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## RiodeLobo (Oct 11, 2010)

bullitt02797 said:


> However I see them almost every night crowded around the porch light. I even hung the trap from the light to no avail.


How about a bug zapper?


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## honeyshack (Jan 6, 2008)

Put cat food in a hung pop bottle trap. They can get in but not out.
Someone once mentioned jam or honey in the spring and cat food in the fall because they are also carnivorus


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

StevenG said:


> Anyone know their range right off hand? and do wasps pose the same threat?


Well, there is an ocean between Japan and us. So their range isn't much of a concern to me. You?


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

sqkcrk said:


> Well, there is an ocean between Japan and us. So their range isn't much of a concern to me. You?


You gotta be kiddin' me Mark!!! There's a Japanese restaurant not hardly over 20 miles from me...Japan surely can't be that much further away!!!!


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## kevink (Sep 30, 2010)

im having major problem with wasps the last few days. i found a DIY wasp trap and decided to give it a go, the follow pics are the result of it 

http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/...5778025_213990928614541_1251908_5353209_n.jpg

http://i781.photobucket.com/albums/...82444705_213990928614541_1251906_683153_n.jpg

all them dead wasps in a little over 24 hours! and the best thing is, while i was looking for another few places to put some hive for next year (im in a forest) i came across their nest!

the recipe, apparently will not only kill wasps but european hornets, paper hornets, wax moths and yellow jackets! not sure about these, but wasps, it'll defo work!


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

Looks like your trap is working very good, kevink! Did you put a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in the lure mix? What recipe did you use? Also, could you post a pic of the entrance to the trap?

Thanks,
Ed


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## bullitt02797 (Aug 11, 2011)

sqkcrk said:


> Well, there is an ocean between Japan and us. So their range isn't much of a concern to me. You?


While the video above may depict the Asian Giant Hornet, I have 100% certainty that the what I have is European Hornets. I have killed dozens so far and have compared the bodies to many different pictures and references. 

I spent nearly 3 hours a few days ago researching these hornets and most of what I found shows that they can devastate honey bee hives just as in the video above. 

Here is a direct quote from the Wikipedia site...

"European hornets are carnivores and eat many species of insects. Many of these insects are considered pests in the garden and suggests the hornet provides a benefit to the average garden/farm. For this reason it is suggested that you do not attempt to kill the hive. However they are known to eradicate domestic honeybee hives, resulting in fewer honeybees for open pollination. They also tend to girdle branches which results in dead branches."

Have you had European Hornet nests around your hives before? If so do they not bother the bees?

I just dont want to risk bringing my hives home to get destroyed.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Intheswamp said:


> You gotta be kiddin' me Mark!!! There's a Japanese restaurant not hardly over 20 miles from me...Japan surely can't be that much further away!!!!


Now that's funny.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

bullitt02797 said:


> Have you had European Hornet nests around your hives before? If so do they not bother the bees?
> 
> I just dont want to risk bringing my hives home to get destroyed.


In 20 years ofr Apiary Inspection and in all of my own colonies I have never seen or had a problem w/ European Wasps. Maybe I don't live in the right part of the country.

Are European Wasps considered a Pest of Honeybees in Europe?

I truely believe that if wasps are causing problems in bee hives, there is something wrong w/ the bees in that hive.

Maybe those w/ different experience can shed some light on this.


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## kevink (Sep 30, 2010)

Intheswamp said:


> Looks like your trap is working very good, kevink! Did you put a drop or two of dishwashing liquid in the lure mix? What recipe did you use? Also, could you post a pic of the entrance to the trap?
> 
> Thanks,
> Ed


I dont have a pic of the entrance ed, its basically a 1 inch hole drilled in to it near the top

the recipe I used was one i actually found on this forum. its 2 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar, half a cup of white vinegar and a quarter or a banana skin in a 2 liter bottle, 7up or a coke bottle is perfect!

i also rubbed some vaseline around the entrance on the inside of the bottle


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

kevink said:


> I dont have a pic of the entrance ed, its basically a 1 inch hole drilled in to it near the top
> 
> the recipe I used was one i actually found on this forum. its 2 cups of water, 2 cups of sugar, half a cup of white vinegar and a quarter or a banana skin in a 2 liter bottle, 7up or a coke bottle is perfect!
> 
> i also rubbed some vaseline around the entrance on the inside of the bottle


The white vinegar is different from where I had read to use apple cider vinegar. Nice to know the white vinegar works so well. How about the soap?...did you use any? 

Thanks for the reply!
Ed


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## kevink (Sep 30, 2010)

Nope no soap at all. I used exactly the reciepe as above 

I hope this helps ya ed!


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## StevenG (Mar 27, 2009)

sqkcrk said:


> In 20 years ofr Apiary Inspection and in all of my own colonies I have never seen or had a problem w/ European Wasps. Maybe I don't live in the right part of the country.
> 
> Are European Wasps considered a Pest of Honeybees in Europe?
> 
> ...


For the sake of clarification, there is a difference between a wasp and a hornet. I can understand and accept that the typical paper wasp, or European Wasp may not be a threat to the honeybee here. To date, I've seen a very few wasps around my various hives, and they seem to be no problem. I've not seen any hornets however. But I know they're around. Apparently European _hornets_ can be a problem to our bees. I'm just curious as to how concerned I should be. 

Re: the Japanese hornet, not at all concerned. And regarding those videos, the first one - 30 vs 30,000 did not indicate _where_ that European honeybee hive was located. From the camera angles, it was obviously a setup showing what could and does happen. But was that filmed in Japan, Europe, or the USA? Anyone know?
Regards,
Steven


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

StevenG said:


> For the sake of clarification, there is a difference between a wasp and a hornet.
> 
> I'm just curious as to how concerned I should be.
> 
> ...


Actually, I think that the wasp/hornet thing is sorta like all rectangles are square, but not all squares are rectangles. 

I believe that in cases of classification of hymonopertus insects, hornets are a subspecies of Wasps. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.

And, as to being worries or not. There are more important things to worry about. imo

According to what Dr. Rick Fell wrote in the book, "Honey Bee Pests, Predators and Diseases", it says under the heading "Wasps
Vespa (Hornets)

The hornets in the genus Vespa are the most important wasp predators of honey bees because of their large size and behavior, and they can cause serious economic problems for beekeepers in some areas. These wasps have been recognized as an important threat to honey bee colonies since Roman times. (Fraser, 1951) Serious predation problems by hornets are most common in the tropical or subtropical ares of the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Japan, but not the United States."

I hope that helps to put your fears to rest.


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## Intheswamp (Jul 5, 2011)

sqkcrk said:


> Actually, I think that the wasp/hornet thing is sorta like all rectangles are square, but not all squares are rectangles.
> 
> I believe that in cases of classification of hymonopertus insects, hornets are a subspecies of Wasps. I could be wrong, but I don't think so.
> 
> And, as to being worries or not. There are more important things to worry about. imo


Yelp, there sure are more important things....like what's a newbee in the hotbed of shb supposed to do to survive the first year of being a beekeeper?...2nd year? .....would wasps and yj and hornets be distractions to the bees and cause them to let that cow beetle make it to her birthing room as a small shb yells out "I don't know nuthin'bout birthin' no baby!"....


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

bullitt02797 said:


> Here is a direct quote from the Wikipedia site...


Did wiki say anything about where these hornets live and where they destroy honey bee colonies? I see you live in MO, a part of the United States of America which is in North America, not Japan or Isreal, the Middle East or Southeast Asia. You might as well be afraid of, hmmm, sea snakes(?).


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## Stacykins (Apr 26, 2011)

StevenG said:


> Re: the Japanese hornet, not at all concerned. And regarding those videos, the first one - 30 vs 30,000 did not indicate _where_ that European honeybee hive was located. From the camera angles, it was obviously a setup showing what could and does happen. But was that filmed in Japan, Europe, or the USA? Anyone know?
> Regards,
> Steven



If you watch the entire documentary, it is filmed in Japan. No need to worry about the Japanese Giant Hornet here in the U.S.


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