Experts issue warning as dangerous insects quickly multiply: 'The number of nests has skyrocketed'

A hornet expert in Luxembourg is warning that Asian hornets, an invasive species first detected in the country in 2020, are multiplying quickly and that their population could surge again next year, according to the Luxembourg Times. 

What's happening?

Asian hornets have proliferated across Luxembourg, and these insects can build large nests at inaccessible heights that are difficult to remove, as evidenced by an 80-centimeter (31.5-inch) nest that was removed from a church steeple in Luxembourg City. 

Lieke Mevis, an environmental consultant, said, per the Times, that this past summer, "the number of nests has skyrocketed" and that the country's nature and forests administration has "not been able to keep up" with the pace of the growing hornet nests. 

Carsten Emser, a hornet expert, implored that the city "urgently" needs more specialists to combat the Asian hornets. 

Why is the spread of hornets concerning?

The hornets pose a threat to both humans and ecosystems. The venom of Asian hornets is more toxic than that of hornets native to the region, and over half of sting victims require medical care; Emser warned that the health implications are "dangerous when a person suffers ten stings or more," per the Times.

This invasive species can survive temperatures as low as minus 7 degrees Celsius (19.4 degrees Fahrenheit), and if a nest is not removed, it can lead to as many as 25 new nests the next year. This combination of hardiness and rapid proliferation poses a threat to the ecological balance of the region.

The Guardian reported that Asian hornets are consuming hundreds of insect species across Europe, including key crop pollinators like honeybees, which can also negatively impact the region's food supply. The loss of honeybees and important pollinators strains agricultural systems and, according to the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, leads to "reduced crop yields and lower quality products."

Globally, invasive insects cause more than $70 billion in damages annually, according to an assessment published in Nature Communications.

What is being done about the spread of the invasive hornet?

Local authorities and specialists like Emser are attempting to remove nests, though Luxembourg currently has too few trained responders to match the exponential spread. Some municipalities are exploring training programs to increase their removal capacity.

Researchers in the United Kingdom have developed technology to detect hornets' buzzing via sound, and their method could help beekeepers identify Asian hornet nests much faster.

That would be a crucial tool to protect already stressed pollinator populations across the continent and limit their spread.

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