BEES & INVASIVE HORNETS
When the threat
to the bees changes.
The monk explains invasive hornets from a beekeeper’s perspective.
In this personal video, Michael J. Trout discusses invasive hornets and their impact on Japanese honeybees. His interest in hornets began with the need to understand the threats facing his own colonies.
Explaining invasive hornets and the threat to Japanese honeybees · Watch on YouTube ↗
Name the species precisely
The video’s title refers to Vespa velutina, known in Japan as ツマアカスズメバチ (tsumaaka-suzumebachi). Japan’s Ministry of the Environment records its first domestic confirmation on Tsushima in October 2012 and its designation as an invasive alien species in 2015. Ministry information also describes its predation on honeybees.
This is a different species from the Asian giant hornet, Vespa mandarinia, often called the “murder hornet.” For filmmakers, identifying the species is the starting point for explaining its behaviour and its relationship with bees.
Ministry of the Environment: invasive hornet information ↗
Ministry information on honeybee predation ↗