Beekeepers are calling on the public to kill as many Asian hornets as possible, as the insects are now less aggressive and will be less of a problem later on.
"Every dead queen is potentially one less nest. A nest has between 1,000 and 3,000 Asian hornets," said René de Backer, president of the Flemish Bee Institute. De Backer spoke in support of the appeal for public help posted on Facebook by the Klein-Brabant beekeepers association. "There are 5,000 to 10,000 Asian hornets in Flanders," De Backer told Het Belang Van Limburg.
Asian hornets arrived in Belgium in 2017. The species poses a threat to biodiversity as it eats pollinators such as honey bees, wild bees and butterflies. Without these insects, plants cannot reproduce, depriving many animals of a vital food source.
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An attack by an Asian hornet can also be dangerous for humans as their large stingers puts venom directly into the body. Occasionally they attack with their whole nest.
At this time of year Asian hornets don't attack as the queens have not built the nests. This means they are vulnerable, explains de Backer: "you can still kill them without any problems." But once the nests are made, the public are advised to stay at least four metres away and not to fight them alone.
Asian hornet can be recognised by their black body, yellow head and orange abdomen. The insect has yellow legs. This distinguishes it from the European variant, which has reddish-brown legs and should not be killed.
