Asian hornets campaign begins, Brussels residents urged to lay traps

The municipality of Ixelles is launching a large-scale campaign to combat the spread of the Asian hornet in Brussels.

As part of the campaign, local residents can pick up free selective traps at the Malibran community centre.

“The coming weeks will be decisive in limiting the spread this season,” said environment alderwoman Valérie Libert.

The Asian hornet, which was accidentally introduced to Europe in 2004, is now spreading almost uncontrollably.

The advance of the Asian hornet in Brussels was already evident last summer. The number of hornets in 2025 was estimated to be five times higher than the previous year, according to Olivier Van Sintejan of pest control service Bye Bye Wesp.

The period between mid-February and mid-May is crucial for intervention, as this is when the founding queens awaken from hibernation.

“Every queen captured means one less complete nest of Asian hornets, protecting thousands of bees and other insects that are important for our biodiversity,” said Ixelles animal welfare alderwoman Nathalie Gilson.

Gautier Calomne, the first alderman responsible for citizen participation, echoed calls for residents to get involved in the fight against the invasive hornet.

“We’ve seen for ourselves the impact of the Asian hornet on our beehives, which were placed in the Ixelles cemetery last year,” said Calomne.

“We have now joined forces with Groupe F, which brings together voluntary citizen initiatives on this issue. Our large-scale campaign is based on their expertise, in particular that of numerous committed beekeepers, and on structured citizen participation.”

The free traps being distributed by the municipality are not dangerous to other insects. Explanations will be provided on how to use the traps, and the municipality hopes to recruit volunteers to strengthen local control efforts.

“Since 2024, the fire brigade no longer removes Asian hornet nests, following a change in regional policy,” Calomne added.

Due to the increasing number of interventions for hornet nests, the fire brigade now limits its interventions to situations where there is an immediate threat. In other cases, people are asked to contact specialised companies.

Groupe F will intervene free of charge on the basis of reports from residens, especially as Asian hornets begin making their return in the coming weeks.

“With the arrival of warmer weather - temperatures are expected to reach 19°C on Wednesday - the queens will begin to emerge from hibernation,” said Libert.

“Each queen can produce a colony of 1,000 hornets. The aim is therefore to catch as many queens as possible to prevent new nests from being created. The best time to do this is from now until mid-May.”

An Asian hornet can be recognised by its size and colouring. These hornets are smaller than their European cousins and the tip of its abdomen, near the stinger, is dark orange, almost red, whereas that of the European hornets, bees or wasps in our region is lighter in colour.

The traps look like a small honey pot with a plastic lid with holes in it. The holes are too small for European hornets, but Asian hornets will be drawn to the mixture of grenadine, beer and white wine inside. After entering the trap, they are unable to get out.

These traps are available to all residents of Brussels, even though Asian hornets are more common in greener areas, such as the Ixelles cemetery neighbourhood.

“Asian hornets are like bees,” explained Libert. “They can also build their nests in cornices. So wherever there are trees, wherever there are holes, a queen can establish her colony.”

Ixelles residents interested in a free trap can contact the municipality. Residents outside of Ixelles can contact Brussels Environment.