Asian Hornet Invasion Threatens Bees Across Germany and Switzerland

The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) continues its spread in Europe, now established in several western German states and recently detected in the Swiss canton of St. Gallen. In Germany, citizen‑science monitoring by Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) reports the hornet’s presence in North‑Rhine Westphalia, Rhineland‑Palatinate, Hesse, Baden‑Württemberg and Saarland, while Saxony, Saxony‑Anhalt and Thuringia remain uninfested. In Switzerland, the Office for Nature, Hunting and Fisheries has located and removed two primary nests in Balgach and St. Gallen and urges the public to report sightings.

The hornet preys on honeybees, wild bees and other insects, posing a risk to pollinator populations, biodiversity and agricultural yields. Each nest can produce up to 600 new queens in autumn, enabling rapid expansion. Authorities stress that nests should only be handled by professionals and encourage photographic reports with precise locations to aid early detection and control efforts.