The search for the Asian hornet is not over, the beekeeper says. “That Hoornaar falls under Article 19 of the European Invasive Exot Regulation. The Netherlands is therefore obliged to have the nests removed. The provinces have allocated money to have it done by specialized companies.”
“But we expect many more reports than there is a budget for it. That is why we are so active as beekeepers. It is nice to do, but this will be the future. I have already removed seven litters this year. They can be everywhere, in bird houses, rainpipes or under shelters.”
And so in trees. “We know that there is probably also a nest in a side street of the Wagenweg in Haarlem. On Saturday we tried to provide a hornet with the Beekeeper Club Haarlem with a channel. Then you immediately know where the nest is. We have not found it yet, so that is still there.”
Not to be confused with a European hornet
Many reports from Hoornaars have recently come from Wandelbos Groenendaal in Heemstede. Lemmers: “Those are often European horners in practice. They are a lot on oak trees, where they get food from. That is not an exotic, it belongs here. A European hornet is larger than the Asian. The Asian is black with a yellow ring on the abdomen. The European variant is red with black and has a complete yellow abdomen.”
According to the beekeepers in the region, it is of vital importance to remove as many nests as possible. All help is welcome. “I make a call to birders, walkers, people who walk their dogs: please report when you think you’ll see a nest. Otherwise we have to have a harsh winter with twenty degrees frost. Soft winters ultimately cause many more nests.”