Brussels (The Brussels Morning Newspaper): The Asian hornet is an invasive species in Europe that threatens biodiversity, especially honey bees, and can be dangerous to humans. Controlling its spread requires monitoring, nest destruction, and public awareness.
Asian hornets (Vespa velutina) are a dangerous type of insect that is not originally from Europe. They are a big problem for bees, which are very important for pollinating plants. These hornets attack bee hives and kill the bees, which can harm the environment and farming. They have spread quickly across Europe since they accidentally got to France in 2004. Because of the hornets, bee numbers are going down, which can cause big problems for nature and farming jobs.
How are Brussels and Belgium addressing the threat of Asian hornets?
Asian hornets can also be a danger to people, especially those who are allergic to their stings. They usually don’t bother humans, but they can become very aggressive if someone gets too close to their nests. Their stings can be painful and sometimes dangerous. Because of this, firefighters and pest control workers are often called to find and remove the nests, which are usually hidden high in trees or buildings. It has been said that this process can be risky and needs special tools to keep people safe. It’s important for people to know about these nests and report them to help control the Asian hornet population and reduce their impact on nature and health.
In 2023, the Brussels fire brigade got called 776 times about Asian hornets. They said this made their work much harder. Since many nests don’t cause big problems and taking them out doesn’t really help, they decided to change how they handle things. Now, they will only help for free in urgent situations where people are in real danger. This means they will step in if hornets attack after someone disturbs a nest or if a nest is in a place that makes it unsafe, like playgrounds, schools, or homes. When it comes to getting rid of Asian hornets, especially in cities or towns where nests are hard to reach, it’s best to hire private pest control companies. These companies know how to safely remove the nests and have the right tools for the job. The fire brigade suggests contacting these experts for help. They are trained to find and destroy hornet nests without putting people or property at risk.
