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This year they got even closer. And now they are in larger numbers in Eindhoven (and the South of the Netherlands), the Asian Hornets. This hornet is different from the European Hornet. In terms of colors and behavior.

The Asian Hornet does not naturally belong here and has no natural enemies here. This hornet can exterminate entire bee colonies by capturing bees from the air but also from the hive if the bee colony is weakened. The honey bees become stressed and die. Not only the honey bees but also other insects (wild bees, wasps, etc.) are killed and eaten. This makes it a huge threat to our insects and ultimately also to us (because we already tease the insects enough with our pesticides).

The Asian Hornet has a huge nest at this time of year, often very high in the trees. The nest can be the size of a football to a skippy ball and has a light brown color. Various queens grow up in it, which can survive the winter and can each start a nest next year.

The life cycle of the Asian Hornet is clearly described on the website https://vespawatch.be.