Germany offers up to €2,000 to combat invasive Asian hornet

The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) is rapidly spreading across Europe, with North Rhine‑Westphalia in Germany seeing a surge from nine detections four years ago to more than 7,300 reports in 2025. In response, regional authorities have launched a three‑stage program that pays trained beekeepers and pest‑removal teams €150 for early‑stage nests, €300 for large nests, and up to €2,000 for professional equipment such as protective suits and specialized extraction tools. Participants must report nests through the Neobiota LANUK portal and are discouraged from handling them personally.

The hornet poses a severe threat to honey‑bee colonies, capable of killing up to 20,000 bees per nest annually, which endangers pollination and crop yields. Human stings are generally harmless except for individuals allergic to the venom. The infestation is not confined to Germany; nests have also been recorded in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and the species is close to reaching Poland.