The Asian hornet, which was first spotted in Belgium in 2016, has now become “virtually impossible to eradicate”, warned Walloon Minister for the Environment, Céline Tellier, on Tuesday.
The minister spoke of "an intense fight” that saw the number of nests destroyed increase from 204 in 2021 to 1,850 in 2022. But faced with this rapid propagation of the aggressive stinging insects, Wallonia has decided to adapt its strategy to fight the invasive species, which are particularly aggressive towards bees.
An Asian hornet, which are known to prey on local bee populations. Credit: Wikimedia
“We tried to slow its progression by systematically destroying the nests but that hasn't delivered the expected results. Though we must not give up, we should switch to rational management strategies, adapted to the danger,” Tellier said.
Wallonia will now spend €267,000 on a project to support the region’s beekeeping sector, based on the prevention and selective destruction of Asian hornet nests. The goal is to “support the sector in its cohabitation with the Asian hornet." Local authorities have been informed of the change to the regional strategy.
“Before embarking on new policies, we want to see if our strategy is working. An evaluation will take place at the end of the season,” the minister concluded.
