The Asian Hornet Spreads in the Basel Area
Invasive animals and plants are displacing native species and keeping authorities busy. In addition to the Japanese beetle and the tiger mosquito, another emerging threat is the Asian hornet, which continues to spread in both Basel-Stadt and Baselland. The Asian hornet, which was first discovered in northwest Switzerland in 2022 and in Basel in 2023, hunts native honeybees, wild bees, and wasps to feed its larvae. If it spreads widely in an area, the Asian hornet can cause noticeable losses in bee colonies; therefore, measures are being implemented to contain its spread.
The Asian hornet first builds preliminary nests that can be found near the ground—for example, near a large plant pot or in a hedge. They are about the size of a fist. The main nests, which are the size of a basketball, are then built over the next few weeks, often in high treetops. In 2024, authorities in Basel-Stadt and Baselland found and “professionally removed” a total of 57 Asian hornet nests, 22 of which were located in Basel-Stadt.
The Beekeepers’ Association of Basel-Stadt and Basel-Landschaft are playing a key role in combating the invasive hornet. The nests are traced using so-called radio telemetry. Captured hornets are fitted with a mini transmitter so that their return flight to the nest can be tracked. This approach, however, is not effective in the city. Here, the experts relay heavily on reports from the public. Residents can help by photographing or filming suspicious insects or nests and reporting them via the platform https://frelonasiatique.ch/de/. The image above shows the Asian hornet at the top and native European hornet at the bottom. Compared with the European hornet, the Asian hornet—also known as the yellow-legged hornet or Vespa velutina—is larger, generally has a darker coloration, and has yellow-tipped legs and a predominantly black or brown body with a yellow or orange band on the fourth abdominal segment.
Note that Asian hornets fiercely defend their breeding grounds. Therefore, you should keep a distance of at least 5 meters from the nests, and nests should only be removed and destroyed by trained professionals.
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