Overview
- The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) has moved from an emerging invader to an established presence in parts of Germany, with official counts in Baden-Württemberg showing a large rise in nests this year.
- Federal policy no longer mandates nationwide eradication, so property owners generally pay for removals while the agriculture ministry provides limited subsidies that rise for larger secondary nests.
- States and conservation bodies are urging citizens to report large late‑summer secondary nests via official portals and to supply photos or video to help experts identify and locate them.
- Specialist teams using protective suits, aerial ladders and non-chemical methods such as hot water or steam are removing nests, and a recent timely removal in Leipzig prevented the likely production of several hundred new queens.
- Beekeepers face acute risk because hornets catch honeybees near hives and can collapse colonies, which raises costs for apiarists, threatens pollination services and makes careful choice of vetted removal providers important to avoid uncovered bills.