VELUTINATRAP® KIT

Vespa velutina nigritorax is an invasive exotic species (R. D. 630/2013) native to Southeast Asia. In Spain, it was detected for the first time in 2010 in Baztán (Navarra) and in Legazpi, Irún, Hondarribia, Oiartzun, Pasaia, Lasarte-Oria and Aduna (Guipúzcoa). Since then it has spread or been detected in Garrotxa and L'Alt Emporda (Catalonia), Otañes and Guriezo (Cantabria), Asturias, Galicia, La Rioja and Burgos.

BIOLOGY, ECOLOGY AND HABITAT

The Asian hornet is easy to recognize since it is the only hornet in Europe that has such a dark color. The variety V. velutina nigrithorax has an entirely velvety black chestnut chest and chest-colored abdominal segments with a thin yellow stripe. Only the 4th segment of the abdomen is almost entirely yellow-orange. The head is black, the face yellow orange and the legs brown at the end. The Asian hornet is slightly smaller than the native species Vespa crabro, whose workers measure between 18-23 mm and the queens between 25-35 mm. Vespa velutina nigrithorax measures between 17 and 32 mm in length.

It usually builds its nests on the tops of trees and occasionally in undisturbed and protected areas in buildings (stairs, abandoned granaries, chicken coops or parts of buildings, etc.) or in brambles, and very rarely buried.

LIFE CYCLE AND ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE

Queens mated the previous season emerge from hibernation, between February-March. Each queen establishes a new colony and begins the construction of the primary nest where they lay eggs of which some twenty workers leave in the months of April-May. The colony moves to a tree creating a secondary nest from May-June. From there new workers emerge (until 1000 or 1500), and at the end of summer the females (100-300) and the males leave. The fecundated females, disperse from late August through October. At the end of October and November the colony ceases to be active and the queen dies.

The adults of Vespa velutina nigrithorax feed on nectar and ripe fruits, while the larvae preferentially eat honey bees and other insects that are taken to the nest by the workers.

During a period of two or three months, workers hunt insects, including bees, 80% in urban areas and 50% in rural areas. This can be an additional stress factor for honey bees, added to the current problem of pollinator decrease.

DESCRIPTION OF KIT COMPONENTS

The trap VELUTINATRAP^® (Code: TA258) is a trap specially designed for the capture of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina.

It is a large capacity trap, very resistant to weathering and long duration in the field. It consists of a high capacity transparent base, a yellow funnel with a green lid to prevent the entry of rainwater and a yellow grid to separate the captures of the attractant VELUTINATRAP^® ATTRACTANT (not included)

The attractant VELUTINATRAP^® ATTRACTANT (Code: VA390) is a natural liquid attractant for the attraction of the Asian hornet Vespa velutina, with a duration of 60 days in normal field conditions. It comes in bottles of 250 cm³.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

1. Pour the contents of a bottle of VELUTINATRAP^® ATTRACTANT (250 cm3) into the base of the trap.
2. Mount the trap following the indicated assembly instructions.
3. Hang the trap in a suitable location, usually in trees on the edge of woods around pastures and near streams.
4. Check the trap regularly. Renew the attractant every 60 days or in case of flooding the trap.

CAUTION: HANDLE THE TRAP WITH THE APPROPRIATE PROTECTIONS IN THE EVENT THAT THERE ARE LIVE HORNETS INSIDE.

Recommended information:

VELUTINATRAP^® KIT LEAFLET

Leaflet in PDF format that can be downloaded by clicking on the image.

OBSERVATIONS: This product is sold in boxes of 10 kits, but through this online store you can buy the kits you need without being required to buy a box.