Overview
- Officials confirmed the first nests in Saxony-Anhalt’s Börde district, with the state beekeepers’ association warning the species is established and spreading across flatland, not only along rivers.
- A large nest beside Ulm’s Pestalozzischule is set for specialist removal on Saturday, highlighting changed rules since March that limit publicly funded removals to cases posing clear biodiversity risk.
- In Hattingen, a resident reported a nest up to a meter wide; the city is consulting a pest controller to verify the species while monitoring the site, with no immediate public hazard reported.
- Experts in Belgium reported a roughly one‑meter nest that could yield up to 500 new queens, noting many nests emerge from concealment as leaves fall and that eradication is viewed as unrealistic.
- Conservation and beekeeping groups urge the public to report sightings to authorities or NABU, not attempt removals that can cost around €5,000, as the hornet heavily preys on honeybees.