Effectiveness of local baits for the management hornets in apiaries of Kathmandu valley

An investigation of the effectiveness of some local baits for the management of hornets in apiaries of Kathmandu valley was carried out at Bhatkyapati-12 (Apiary A) and Tyangla-3 (Apiary B), Kirtipur Municipality under apiary conditions. Hornets were observed as most serious natural enemies of both house and field honeybees. Among four species of hornets viz: Vespa velutina Smith, Vespa tropica L., Vespa mandarina Smith, Vespa basalis Smith, V. velutina and V. mandarina were found to be the most abundant and serious enemies of honeybees in apiary conditions. A series of experiments were carried out to find out the efficacy of different baits for the management of hornets.