This year's honey harvesting has also ended, and at the beekeeping site in Kumamoto, the beekeeping members are conducting daily inspections of the hives.
Amidst this, the natural enemies of the honeybees that appear every year have shown up again this year.
Their true identity is—the hornet !
Although they belong to the same "bee" family, wasps are a very dangerous presence for honeybees.
This is because wasps prey on honeybees.
Sometimes, three wasps can completely destroy a colony in a single hive.
Their high attack power is a threat to us humans as well, but above all, it can be fatal for the honeybees that work every day.
To protect the bees from such external threats, beekeeping members are taking various measures.
This time, we will introduce three effective countermeasures against hornets!
1. Wooden box trap.
The appearance of the captured hornet
A wooden box-shaped trap is set up at the entrance of the nest box, with a honey-filled nest placed in front to lure the hornets.
Utilizing their tendency to fly upwards, they are trapped inside the wire mesh.
2. Sheet for mouse trapping
Place a sticky sheet on top of the nest box to capture approaching hornets.
It is a simple yet very effective means of defense.
3. PET Bottle Capture Device
Pour the original strong-scented attractant liquid from SUGI BEE GARDEN into a pet bottle with holes, and place it near the beehive.
This attractant liquid will lure and guide the wasps attracted by the scent of the honeybees for capture.
When I spoke to a beekeeping club member who was fighting against a hornet on site, they mentioned that when they first joined, they were astonished to see a senior member swatting an Asian giant hornet with their hand.
This was an episode that made me realize that the current safe beekeeping environment is made possible by the efforts and passion of our predecessors.
For us who work in nature, the "protective work" is also an essential and important role.
It is only with the lively bees that delicious honey is produced.
While facing nature, we will continue to protect the bees!
