De Panne (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – A hornet nest on a 30-meter tower crane in De Panne halted work for a week. Contractor Kevin de Rous tried drones, but Mayor Wim Janssens arranged for fire brigade removal tomorrow, Sep 10, 2025.
As VRT News reported, a construction site in De Panne, in the province of West Flanders, Belgium, has been stopped for a week after a nest of Asian hornets was found on a tower crane. The crane belongs to contractor Kevin de Rous from Langemark.
The nest was situated 30 meters up, where workers could not operate the crane in any sort of safety. Kevin contacted numerous pest removal companies, but none could safely get to the nest at 30 meters. They had no choice but to stop the construction work, which delayed the site.
“If we were to use the crane, the hornets would be startled by the vibrations and could attack people,”
Kevin explains.
“So they have to go before we can start work again.”
How will De Panne remove the 30m crane hornet nest safely?
The plan by contractor Kevin de Rous to use a drone against a hornet nest on a tower crane in De Panne has raised concerns among experts. Dominique Soete, from the non-profit Vespawatchers, which specialises in removing nests, warned that the method was not the safest.
He explained that the best way to remove such nests is to spray pesticide directly into them using a telescopic pole. That type of pole normally needs a support point, such as branches in a tree, which are not available on a crane. Soete suggested alternatives such as using ropes or approaching the nest with a ladder truck from the fire service.
Mayor Wim Janssens of De Panne, through his Action Plan, intervened after hearing about the long delays at the site. He managed to find a professional exterminator who will work with the local fire brigade to destroy the nest safely. The fire department will use a ladder truck to get close to the hornets and allow the exterminator to complete the job. The removal is scheduled for tomorrow, Sep 10, 2025, at 3 p.m.
Asian hornets have increasingly become a problem in Belgium since their first report in 2016. They are native to Asia and came to Europe when they appeared in France in 2004, and have continued to expand their range since then. Their nests can be quite large as they like building them in large trees or high structures, which will be particularly large from July, depending on the weather conditions, until the end of October.
Experts warn that the hornets pose risks to outdoor workers and also threaten bee colonies, which are a main target for the species. Several Belgian towns, including coastal areas such as De Panne, have introduced action plans in recent years to control the problem.
