German municipalities fund special lance to combat Asian hornet spread

The town of Gaggenau in Baden‑Württemberg approved a €2,500 subsidy for a specially designed lance that can be operated up to 30 m high. The device, costing around €6,600, uses hot water steam at roughly 100 °C to suction and then kill hornets inside their nests, avoiding the use of insecticides.

At the same time, the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is expanding further into the German state of Hessen. Officials confirmed the first sightings of the insect and nests in Kassel and urged residents to report any observations to the environmental department rather than attempting removal themselves. Trained specialist advisors are tasked with locating and destroying the nests.