Ypres places decoy trap for Asian hornet at 100 inhabitants

The Asian Hornet has few natural enemies and multiplies quickly. A nest can produce up to 500 queens. In 2019 there were three reports of Asian Hornets in Ypres, in 2022 there were already 38 reports. This year there are even more reports of queens found.

Sugar mixture

This year, the city of Ypres will make 100 bait traps and bait liquid available for Ypres inhabitants. “By placing decoy traps in the spring, a large number of queens can be caught,” it sounds.

The bugs are attracted by a mixture of beer, wine and sugar. Remarkable: the decoy trap does not kill other insects. Once a queen is trapped, the idea is to put the box in the freezer and then remove the wasp without risk.

How do you recognize an Asian Hornet?

Hornets are almost twice the size of a wasp or honey bee. There are two types in Belgium: the Asian and the European. The Asian is slightly smaller than the European: 3.5 cm tall, black, with orange spots on the head and legs that are half black and half yellow.