Spring sees return of Asian hornets in France: Action to take now
The hornets are particularly damaging to bee populations
People can make homemade hornet traps, but store-bought ones are likely to be more effective and offer more protection against the accidental capture of bees and other important insects
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Asian hornets are returning to France as temperatures rise ahead of spring, and beekeepers are advising on ways to get rid of them early on, as the insects can be a danger to bees and humans.
As spring approaches, the hornet queens come out of hibernation and begin to establish their own colonies. They are beginning to find food and make small nests.
However, the hornets - which are an invasive species, scientific name Vespa velutina - can wreak havoc on bee populations and those of other important insects. They can also be dangerous to humans who are allergic to their sting. Since the insects’ arrival in France in 2004, they have destroyed nearly a quarter of the country’s honey bee population.
They can now be found nationwide except in Corsica and the overseas territories.
Read also: French hornet attack: how to spot the insects and treat the stings
Read more: Man dies after hornets attack as he helps friend tidy French garden
Hornet control measures
Beekeepers in particular say that February and March are the best months in which to start capturing these queens, to limit the insects’ proliferation come spring and summer.
For example, in Sarthe (Pays de la Loire), the Groupe de Défense Sanitaire Apicole de la Sarthe (Sarthe beekeeping health defence group) are already stepping up their hornet-trap plans.
“It’s not only a beekeeping issue, it upsets the balance of our biodiversity,” said Luc Breteau, vice-president of the group, to Actu Le Mans. “The Asian hornet has no place here. You have to start destroying them in this foundational period [spring].”
Last year, one expert from Gironde told 20 Minutes: “Every queen that has survived the winter will make a new nest, with between 5,000 and 13,000 individuals inside. Trapping one queen therefore means between 5,000 and 13,000 fewer hornets [in summer].”
The material damage that the hornets wreak on the beekeeping industry amounts to €12 million per year. Up to 20% of bee populations can be destroyed every summer, reports the government website Vie Publique.
Read more: Now is the time for many to install Asian hornet traps in France
Hornet law
It comes after the Assemblée Nationale has just passed a law (March 14) to give beekeepers the right to further control the Asian hornet, which the community has welcomed as a “historic” vote. The resources allocated to help this extra control are yet to be confirmed.
The law outlines a national plan to monitor, prevent, and trap hornets, and assess the damage caused in each department.
It will also fund research into the insects and how to effectively prevent them, and has categorised the Asian hornet as a second-category health hazard (danger sanitaire de deuxième catégorie) for the honeybee (it was first classified as such until 2021, until a European law, Regulation (EU) 2016/429, superseded it for a time).
Read also: What is France’s new national plan to fight against Asian hornets?
Trap tips
Patrick Granziera, president of national beekeepers’ union l’Union nationale des apiculteurs français (UNAF), has advised individuals and communes to invest in traps. One model, known as the ‘Korean’ trap, is particularly effective, he told 20 Minutes.
“The only drawback is that it's a bit expensive,” he said of the Korean trap, which costs around €75.
Individuals can also try their hand at making homemade traps, although some experts advise against this because of the high risk of capturing other, non-harmful insects.
These are usually made with a plastic bottle, cut in half, into which you pour a mix of beer, bad white or red wine, and blackcurrant or grenadine-type syrup. Typically, bees avoid traps that contain alcohol.
“But you have to be careful. Some traps are [still] not selective enough, they catch too many insects,” said Mr Granziera. One way to avoid this is to drill tiny holes in the bottle, to allow flies and midges to escape. Some beekeepers simply suggest buying professional hornet-catching traps instead.
Across the country, communes are starting to invest in their own traps. This includes the Métropole du Mans, which is distributing traps free of charge to residents.
Already, 2,000 have been distributed and another 1,000 are still being handed out. Some communes are also putting funding in place to support residents who need to call a pest control expert to their home to get rid of a nest. You can check with your local mairie if there is any support in your commune.
Firefighters typically no longer attend call-outs about nests, and instead advise residents to call a hornet or pest expert.
What traps are available?
An official national plan against Asian hornets - created in 2024 by the health network GDS France (Groupement de défense sanitaire) and environmental research network Fredon France - recommends the use of three traps primarily.
These are:
The ‘Japanese’ trap, which is selective and only captures Asian hornets
The ‘Korean’ trap, also known as the ‘VelutinaTrap’, is particularly effective, and captures the hornets so that they starve when inside without dying immediately. This method means that more hornets will be drawn to the trap.
The ‘Neoppi’ grid trap, a yellow grid that attracts and traps Asian hornets, while allowing bees to exit safely.
Some other traps available in France include:
The ‘Vespacatch’. Specially designed for beekeepers, and traps Asian hornets only.
The ‘Robida’, which was developed by a Mayenne (Pays de la Loire) organisation that supports the employment of disabled people.
The ‘Red Top Trap’. This red box captures hornets but still allows bees to pass through.
