The Flemish Beekeeping Institute (Vlaams Bijeninstituut) has reported an increase in the number of primary nests of Asian hornets in Flanders compared to the same period last year.
A similar increase has been observed in Wallonia.
These primary nests, also known as spring nests, are the size of a golf ball. They are constructed by young queens, often in gardens, sheds, bird houses, and even on children’s play equipment. The nests pose a higher risk than secondary, or summer, nests, which are typically built over eight metres high.
The increase in nests reflects the growing population of Asian hornets in Belgium. “The species is expanding, the invasion continues,” says Louis Hautier, a scientific attaché at the Walloon Agricultural Research Centre (CRA-W). “If conditions are right, populations will keep increasing. However, it’s too early to predict what density we’ll reach,” he adds.
According to the Flemish Beekeeping Institute, there have been four recorded Asian hornet stings in the North of the country, one involving a child. No cases have been reported in Wallonia, according to the Interdepartmental Invasive Species Unit of the Walloon Public Service (SPW).
To prevent stings, the Flemish Beekeeping Institute has issued a number of recommendations. It advises parents to check for Asian hornet nests in garden storage facilities before letting their children play there. The institute also advises caution when gardening or working in nature. Hedge trimming, for example, is a risky activity, it warns.
A map of operators trained to neutralise the Asian hornet is available on the CRA-W website: https://www.cra.wallonie.be/fr/carte-des-operateurs-frelon-asiatique.
