Alien species now in the UK

sikamalc

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Following on from the thread I started on wildlife you used to see in our youth, I thought I would add this thread as this weekend whilst stalking I saw 2 Hornets, that appeared to be from foreign climbs.

Both were treble the size of a good old English Wasp, purple in colour with the obvious black markings, on the first occasion I managed to point it out to the client as it was fairly near to us both, the second occasion was on a different part of the estate and flew into the wood near to where we were standing.

The weekend result was quite positive with 3 clients and 3 Bucks from Friday morning to early Sunday morning. One buck being a very unusual beast in that the antlers are about 7" above the ears and almost spikes. He was also blind in one eye.

Where I used to live we were inundated with Ring Neck Parakeets, some of which I shot under licence for Canterbury University who were carrying out a DNA study with regards to the Mauritius Parakeet which is highly endangered.
We also get a good many White Egrets now, although I have yet to see either species where I now live. Apart from the dreaded Mink which has decimated English wildlife, we also had a colony of Beavers not that far away, which had been released about 20 years ago.

ATB

Sikamalc
 
Following on from the thread I started on wildlife you used to see in our youth, I thought I would add this thread as this weekend whilst stalking I saw 2 Hornets, that appeared to be from foreign climbs.

Might be these Malc, if so then we are in a bit of bother,http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...GUN9rb1YsRDIcDQ&bvm=bv.96952980,d.cWw&cad=rja

Defra has issued advice to beekeepers to keep an eye out for the invaders so the department can take prompt action if any are spotted. “If they do spot a hornet we want them to tell us, then we will get rid,” the spokesman said.
 
Thanks for that Finny. I have googled it as the picture on the link did not show the whole insect. It certainly looks like it could have been an Asian Hornet.

It was bloody huge compared to any Wasp/Hornet I have ever seen.
 
hornet1.jpg
 
Sikamalc, any chance that what you saw were wood wasps, wood wasps are harmless they don't sting, the female has what looks like a sting but it is an ovipositor or egg laying device with which she places her eggs in holes she bores in pine preferably but also in other softwood trees , when hatched the larvae spend up to three years in the tree eating the wood.

Only the female has ovipositor which looks like a sting this is absent in the male, also they don't have the obvious waist of a normal wasp otherwise apart from being several sizes bigger than a normal wasp they are very much wasp like scary the first time you see one.

What you describe sounds very much like wood wasps apart from the purple colour which is slightly confusing
however there are more than one species of wood wasp, however the species most commonly seen in Britain is yellow and black like a normal wasp, but the black can also look purple in certain light conditions.
 
One of the worst introduced creatures is the American Signal Crayfish. The are a bloody menace.
Any anglers who have encountered them will know what destruction they cause.
 
DSC 1, for those that believe in such things, would be a sight easier without our "alien" deer species. Three not to have to learn.

But pheasant shooting would be a bit thin on the ground. And no rabbiting either! However grey squirrels and Canada Geese I'd be happier never to see again.
 
I had one those hornets inside my log burner about two weeks ago. Scary looking blighter...left it there and it died. An alien species group have asked me to send it to them.
 
but they do eat well wrapped in pig hmmmmm
they can do destroy the chub runs or any waters they are in trap and eat them :D free food.


QUOTE=GeoffWood;990408]One of the worst introduced creatures is the American Signal Crayfish. The are a bloody menace.
Any anglers who have encountered them will know what destruction they cause.[/QUOTE]
 
thought that was a photo shop until I looked it up F*****g hell and the information sheet ??:scared:
giant-hornet.jpg

The Japanse Hornets are 5 times the size of an European honeybee, which are the favorite target of these hornets from hell. Commonly used by Japanese farmers, the honeybees are not native to Japan and have no natural defenses against an onslaught of giant hornets. Hornet scouts marks the honeybee colony with a type of pheromone and soon after, all hell breaks lose. It just takes 3 of these natural born killer to slaughter a whole colony of 30,000 bees, leaving a trail of dismembered heads and limbs. While people are not the Japanese giant hornet’s usual prey, their venom is strong enough to disintegrate human flesh, and about 70 people die each year after being stung by these monster bugs.
 
Well it was not one of them I saw. I did see a programme on Sky about these Jap Hornets about a year or so ago, not something you want to be stung by that's for sure.
 
?...........snip..... I managed to point it out to the client as it was fairly near to us both, the second occasion was on a different part of the estate and flew into the wood near to where we were standing..............

It is a damn good thing I was not the client - I would have trampled you and Todd to get away. I have been bitten by black widows (2x), struck by venomous snakes, been shot at in a bad part of the world. None of those things terrify me - but I will run screaming like a little girl to avoid a hornet.

Back to your original question, we don't see many new invasive species in the states, what we see are existing species dramatically expanding their range.
 
We used to see those massive hornets fairly often when I used to work in Kent (6-7 years ago) but at the time I didn't have the presence of mind to realise it might need anything doing about it. I'm glad I saw this thread, though, as it jogged my memory and reassured me that I hadn't imagined them!
 
Hi Malc,

I am a volunteer honey bee health adviser in the Berkshire area and recently undertook some training with the National Bee Unit. The Asian Hornet was one pest that we have been trained to be on the look out for as it is decimating honey bee colonies in the South of France and is believed to be heading our way. Please could you take a look at the following video and let me know if this is what you saw:



Also see fact sheet with pictures & description here: View attachment 58884

and how to report here: http://www.nationalbeeunit.com/index.cfm?pageid=208

Many thanks,

Jim
 
That's a very small consolation.
but they do eat well wrapped in pig hmmmmm
they can do destroy the chub runs or any waters they are in trap and eat them :D free food.


QUOTE=GeoffWood;990408]One of the worst introduced creatures is the American Signal Crayfish. The are a bloody menace.
Any anglers who have encountered them will know what destruction they cause.
[/QUOTE]
 
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