ZEEWOLDE – A nest of the Asian hornet was found in a tree at Cumulus in Horsterveld

ZEEWOLDE – A nest of the Asian hornet was found in a tree at Cumulus in Horsterveld. Such a nest can grow as large as a skipping ball, which is the case here. The Asian hornet, originating from Asia, has been spreading in Western Europe in recent years. Its sting is much more painful than that of the common lemonade wasp and it can be very aggressive.

The Asian hornet is a scavenger and insect eater, consuming anything with protein such as spiders, wasps, dead birds, and fish. Queens can reach up to 30 mm, workers up to 20 mm, and drones up to 25 mm. A fertilized queen that survives the winter builds a nest in spring, often in a hollow tree, under an eave, or in a birdhouse. The first approximately twenty workers expand the nest to just smaller than a tennis ball.