Heads up folks...

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SteveH
Posts: 2072
Joined: Thu Jul 31, 2008 9:50 am
Location: Elton, Cheshire

Heads up folks...

Post by SteveH »

Morning all,

just a heads up for a couple of months from now.... last year (2018) saw a significant influx of Hornets (Vespa crabro) into Cheshire.

In places they were atually quite common despite them not having been recorded other than rarely previously. So, this is a gentle word of caution come June and on into October because they regularly get into moth traps and though they are usually docile, they are very much like foxes in the hen coop. Hornets + moths = decapitated moths!

I have a friend or two 'down south' who actually give up trapping for a while in late summer because they get up to 20 Hornets in their traps and every single moth has been killed.

So, hopefully not too many (non-moth) surprises when you turn the egg-box over If you are 'lucky' enough to get a visit from one its worth ruling out the hoverfly hornet-mimic too, Volucella zonaria does a very acceptable impersonation!

Cheers,
Steve
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