Hornet

The Asian hornet, which originates from South East Asia, is now spreading further and further into Europe. This species of hornet harms our native insects, reduces their population and also preys on honey bees on a large scale. It is therefore an invasive species in the European Union.

As the population has now reached a level at which complete eradication can no longer be achieved, it has been legally reclassified as "management". This means that the officially coordinated obligation to remove nests by the lower nature conservation authorities no longer applies. A reporting obligation is prescribed by law for Asian hornets. Sightings and nest findings can be reported publicly and by anyone at https://neobiota.naturschutzinformationen.nrw.de/neobiota/de/fundpunkte/erfassung

The control or removal of nests by pest controllers must be carried out under the responsibility of the affected property owners themselves.

For further information, questions and reports on the subject of domestic and Asian hornets, please contact hornissen@kreis-kleve.de. A photo of the insect or nest is helpful for further advice. You can report sightings of Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) nests with location data directly via the Kleve district online service.