Peach trees

A lot of peach trees have been affected by a virus in this area. Intensive cultivation always brings about this sort of problem it seems. We also have the problem of bee colony collapse as elsewhere and an increasing and worryingly expanding population of hornets. Just today, I read of the fire brigade removing a 5o cms x 50 cms hornet nest from the next village. These hornets are an Asiatic variety and quite ferocious. The stings of the Asian giant hornet (Vespa mandarinia japonica) are the most venomous known and are thought to cause 30-50 human deaths annually in Japan and 42 in China in July-September 2013 alone. Non-queens being 1.4-1.5 inches in length, the Asian giant hornet's venom can cause allergic reactions and multiple organ failure leading to death, though dialysis can be used to remove the toxins from the bloodstream. They attack bee colonies and destroy them. Such a nest can harbour 50.000 of these wasps .