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Vigilance urged following unconfirmed sighting of Asian hornet
"By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets".

Species a risk to honeybees and other pollinators. 

The British Beekeepers Association is urging vigilance following an unconfirmed sighting of an Asian hornet nest in Monmouthshire.

The Association has set up a special local taskforce called the 'Home Guard' - as reported by BBC News - and is calling on members of the public to look out for nests both in their sheds and while out on walks.

Native to southeast Asia, the Asian hornet poses a risk to honeybees and other pollinating insects. Since 2016, there have been a total of 17 confirmed sightings of the Asian hornet in England and nine nests have been destroyed.

A Defra spokesperson said: “By ensuring we are alerted to possible sightings as early as possible, we can take swift and effective action to stamp out the threat posed by Asian hornets.

“While the Asian hornet poses no greater risk to human health than a bee, we recognise the damage they can cause to honey bee colonies and other beneficial insects.Please continue to look out for any Asian hornets and if you think you’ve spotted one, report your sighting through the Asian hornet app or online.”

Asian hornets are identifiable by their dark brown or black, velvet-like body. They also have yellow-tipped legs, a yellow/orange band on the fourth segment of their abdomen and are smaller than the native European hornet.

Until now, the most recent sighting of an Asian hornet in the UK was near Christchurch, Dorset on 1 October 2019. The nest discovered in Monmouthshire has been destroyed.

The Asian hornet is thought to have entered Europe in 2004 and is widespread in parts of France, Spain, the Channel Islands and Portugal.

Suspected sightings of Asian hornet should be reported via the Hornet Watch App or by email to alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk. Alternatively, you can fill in an online report form.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.