The Asian hornet is increasingly advancing and that causes unrest. On Wednesday a nest was found above a playground in Empel. Beekeepers sound the alarm because their bees are attacked. The province is responsible for cleaning up the nests and they are flooded with reports. Is all ‘panic’ justified or should we learn to live with the Asian hornet?
According to expert Theo Zeegers, researcher at the Insects knowledge center, there is a social panic rather than an ecological disaster. His message is sober and reassuring: “We are not going to stop the Asian hornet and that is not necessary either.”
A predicted ‘disaster’
The rapid increase in nests causes a lot of unrest, but according to Zeegers everything is exactly as predicted. “More nests are found every year, until there is a saturation point. We saw that in France and Flanders too. In the end, an area is full and the growth stops automatically.”
According to him, we should try to be something more sober. In Zeeland and Limburg, the province has stopped actively detecting and combating nests and there are now the first signs that the population reaches its ceiling. “Brabant should do that too.”
No reason for panic
Although he would have preferred that the exotic had not occurred in the Netherlands, Zeegers emphasizes that panic around the wasp and taking care of biodiversity are really not necessary.
Most nests are high in trees, often twenty meters high or more. Only low -hanging nests pose a risk. “If you come within one and a half meters, they will defend themselves. Put a ribbon around it and call a extermination. More is not necessary.”
Worries of beekeepers
But beekeepers are very worried. Pascal, beekeeper from Sprang-Capelle, says: “The hornets eat our bees, or make the animals stressed in such a way that they don’t dare to get food for hibernation,” he explains. “I’m afraid they will not survive the winter. This is our sandwich, it causes a lot of stress.”
Zeegers acknowledges their worries, but nuances: “It has never been proven that the Asian hornet will roll out complete nations. Yes, they eat bees, but other wasps do that too.” A French study shows that the impact that the Hoornaar has limited is: “Only about two percent of the peoples run extra risk of not surviving the winter. And in France the Hoornaar is even more common than in the Netherlands.”
Combative
According to Zeegers, the Hoornaar does not undermine biodiversity. “They also eat flying, spinning and other insects. Hunting is part of nature. We should not pretend that this species is by definition a scourge.”
Beekeeper Pascal does not accept that. He invests in equipment to track horners and detect nests. “Doing nothing feels powerless. I believe this helps.”
It makes no sense
Almost five hundred nests have been removed in Brabant this year. According to a spokesperson for the province, dozens of reports are now coming in a week, a pace that cannot be kept up.
According to Zeegers, that is not necessary: ”The idea is that queens can brake the growth by queens, but the numbers will still increase. We can’t stop this anymore.”
Shared responsibility
The province acknowledges that. “We no longer have the task of removing every nest,” says a spokesperson. “2025 is a transition year: beekeepers and landscape manager must help protect the pollination and bees themselves. It is therefore a shared responsibility and a concrete joint approach is being worked on.”
According to Zeegers, it is a good idea to distribute responsibility. “We have to set priorities: nests at schools and playgrounds have to go. They can stay high in a tree. You don’t have to fight everything.”