Asian Hornet Notification

Posted by Jon on May 30, 2010 in Asian Hornets, Hornets, Regulations | 0 comments

If you see an Asian Hornet adult or nest, please take the time to notify INPN who are mapping the spread of hornets across France. The procedure is easy – simply fill in the form detailing the location of the nest and enclose a picture and/or hornet samples, then send off to the address. By tracking the spread of the hornets, INPN hope to better understand their biology and prevent further spread. Given the speed of the spread through France, there is a real worry that they will continue to spread to other countries including the UK.

To help, we have done a quick translation of the form – if your French isn’t very good I’m sure they will still appreciate all the info in English. Fiche_signalement_Vespa Eng

Asian Hornet

Posted by Jon on May 29, 2010 in Asian Hornets, Hornets | 2 comments

Vespa velutina, Frelon Asiatique

The Asian Hornet is a relatively new arrival in France entering it is thought, in Bordeaux on-board a pottery shipment from China. It rapidly spread through the surrounding area following the water courses and we first saw Asian hornets in our area of Poitou-Charentes in late 2008.  In September 2009, there were sightings north of Paris. Click here for a map that shows its rapid expansion across France. It is now said that wherever you are in Poitou-Charentes, you are only less than 250m from an Asian Hornet nest…

The most comprehensive summary of the key characteristics can be found on INPN, the French National Natural Heritage site (Inventaire National du Patrimoine Naturel) but this page is only available in French so we have summarised some important features …..