Hiker dies after Asian hornet attack in Brittany
The 77-year-old was part of a group walking on a trail near a nest at the foot of a tree
Asian hornet nests tend to be found in trees
ThomasLENNE/Shutterstock
A woman has died after the hiking group she was part of was attacked by asian hornets in Brittany yesterday (September 23).
The group were following a hiking trail near Pleudihen-sur-Rance (Côtes-d'Armor) when they came across the hornet nest, which was on the ground at the foot of a tree.
A swarm of hornets from the nest began attacking the group, stinging five of the eight multiple times.
Emergency services were called, but a 77-year old woman who had been stung numerous times had already gone into cardiac arrest and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Four others were taken to a nearby hospital in Dinan – three left after routine checks, but one woman, aged 68, remains in intensive care.
Local authorities have now closed the trail off to the public as they look to destroy the nest.
A resident of the town was attacked by hornets from the same nest on Friday (September 20) when walking along the same hiking path.
He was stung dozens of times, including on his head, arms, shoulders, bottom, legs, and feet, before managing to escape.
Read more: Man dies after hornets attack as he helps friend tidy French garden
Asian hornets pose public safety risk
“Passing too close to a nest can cause the hornets to become agitated,” said Alexandra Lecomte, who works to combat invasive species in the Dinan area, to Ouest France.
“We consider that a perimeter of three or four metres around a nest can be dangerous, because they are sensitive to vibrations,” she added.
Deaths from hornet stings are rare, but Asian hornets are more aggressive than their European counterparts, and up to 4,000 hornets can live in a single large nest.
Asian hornets are an invasive species in France, but can now be found almost everywhere in the county.
There are fewer nests in 2024 than in previous years, however, due to the wetter and cooler spring France experienced this year preventing some of them from developing.
Read more: What is France’s new national plan to fight against Asian hornets?
Some local authorities now provide free traps to prevent queen hornets from starting a new nest.
Read more: LIST: Does your French commune give free traps for Asian hornets?
