Asian hornet identified in four provinces

The Asian hornet was recently spotted in several places around the Netherlands. The hunting insect has been discovered in Zeeland, Zuid-Holland, Noord-Brabant, and Limburg, according to the platform Stop Invasive Exotics.

"The ones that are flying now are queens that fledged and fertilized late last year, survived the winter, and are building a nest. So every queen caught now eliminates a nest in the summer," explained Wilfred Reinhold, chair of the platform.

The insect is a mostly black wasp that eats honeybees, wild bees, and bumblebees. Asian hornet nests should be destroyed whenever possible to avoid the spread of the species.

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) is responsible for the investigation. Provinces are responsible for preventative action. The Asian hornet was first seen in the Netherlands in 2017 and is considered an undesirable species.