How to breed hornets? Detailed explanation of breeding methods and techniques

Hornets feed on various insects, so they play a great role in controlling pests and diseases in nature. Hornets have a limited range, mainly distributed in Pakistan, southern China and Indonesia. In our country they are mainly distributed in the hilly and low mountain areas below 1300 m altitude in Fujian and Guangdong provinces. So how are hornets bred?

1. Build a rearing cage

Build a frame from wooden strips in the field as a rearing cage, bury the lower part in the soil, fix the cage with wooden stakes and wire, cover the top and all sides with nylon mesh, leave a zipper opening on one side for personnel to enter and exit, and at the same time breed cabbage caterpillars inside the cage as feed for the hornets.

2. Catching and taming

Use a homemade bee-catching net to catch wild female wasps. In spring, when hornets are flying in the wild, swing the bee-catching net, and after the wasps enter the net, put them into the rearing cage and let the hornets fly out, while feeding clean water and liquid feed in the cage.

3. Hang beehives

Put water and liquid feed into a bottle and invert it in a glass dish lined with absorbent filter paper or absorbent cotton; hornets can feed by sucking water from the filter paper or absorbent cotton. According to the number of female wasps caught, hang empty beehives for the hornets to build nests.

4. Feeding management

As the colony and larvae gradually increase, there must be enough cabbage caterpillars supplied, otherwise the hornets will eat the larvae. After the first generation of adult wasps emerges, the beehive can be moved out of the cage and moved to the field, with no need to feed them, letting them prey on various pests.

5. Overwintering management

When the temperature is below 6°C, hornets will huddle together. The beehive should be moved into a dry, ventilated empty room for overwintering. When the temperature rises above 6°C, they begin to disperse from the cluster, and can be moved back into the bee cage. When the temperature stabilizes above 13°C, they gradually leave the hive to move outside.

6. Disease and pest control

Animals that harm hornets include crows, magpies, ants, spiders, geckos, etc. The most serious is the yellow-tailed nest moth of the family Lepidoptera, Noctuidae. During winter overwintering, mice will also bite and eat hornets overwintering in groups, and all of these need strengthened prevention.