A nest of Asian hornets was removed in Hoofddorp on Friday. The nest near Arnoldus Park was found earlier this week, after someone had already been stung several months ago. It is only the second time that the wasp-like species has been found in North Holland.
Asian hornet nest found in Hoofddorp – NH News
As the name suggests, the Asian hornet is not originally found in the Netherlands. Until 2004, the insect, which can grow to more than two centimeters in length, was only found in South and Southeast Asia. Then they probably traveled with an order for a French bonsai nursery, and since then the nests can be found further and further north in Europe.
The nest in Hoofddorp is the second report in the province of North Holland, but hundreds of nests have been found since 2017, especially in the southern provinces, says Rob Voesten. He is one of the few people in the Netherlands with the knowledge and equipment to remove the nests. Every day he drives from his home in Limburg across the country to remove the nests.
“There is only one Rob with one aerial platform, so I can only remove one nest at a time”
“Last year they were in 150 places throughout the Netherlands, but in September of this year we were already at 600. I am doing my best to remove them, but there is only one Rob with one aerial platform,” says Voesten. removing the nest in Hoofddorp.
These types of invasive animal species, called exotics, often cause problems in Dutch nature. The Asian hornet is no exception, says Nelleke van Rijnsoever of the Dutch Bee Association: “They have no natural enemy here and are also quite destructive. Such a nest can eat up to eleven kilos of bees in its entire lifespan. And This in turn has major consequences for the pollination of the surrounding flowers and plants.”
‘Full-time’ volunteers
Van Rijnsoever is trying to set up as many networks as possible throughout the country to collect and monitor reports of the animals: “People report a hornet nest on perception.nl, and then it must first be checked whether it is actually the Asian hornet and not, for example, normal wasps. Then we put the right people in touch, the nest is searched for, and then we call in someone like Rob, who will come and remove the nest.”
This is largely done with volunteers, but there are still far too few, says Van Rijnsoever: “There are now people who spend almost full-time work keeping up with the reports, so any help is welcome.”
Well in the minority
Because both searchers and cleaners are still in the minority, it takes a relatively long time before nests can be removed. A few months ago someone was stung near the nest at Arnoldus Park. The nest was finally found at the beginning of this week, and it will take a few more days before Voesten has time to visit.
Text continues below the photos.
The nest is about ten meters high
The nest is removed in its entirety
The stunned hornets are frozen to death in a freezer
That is one of the reasons why, according to Van Rijnsoever, we must learn to live with the Asian hornet: “By the time the nest has been removed, the animals have already set out all kinds of flight routes and have had plenty of opportunity to disperse. In that respect, it is a fight against the beer quay. These animals are probably not going away anymore, and that is why we must arm ourselves against them, as far as possible.”
Not necessarily fatal
By the way, North Hollanders themselves do not have to be afraid of the insect. A hornet sting is only fatal if you are allergic. And although the large sting hurts more initially, the sting is largely comparable to that of an ordinary wasp. The animals only react defensively in the vicinity of their nest. Its removal is therefore better left to a professional.