In September, bottle traps against the Asian hornet cause almost no harm to the colony but…

In September, bottle traps against the Asian hornet cause almost no harm to the colony but significantly damage beneficial insects. The 2026 national plan advises observing hornet flight paths to locate secondary nests before professional intervention.

The Asian hornet reaches peak activity in September, occupying large secondary nests often high in trees. At this stage, trapping a few workers with homemade traps does not reduce the colony, which contains hundreds of individuals, while sugary traps also kill many non-target insects.

Autumn trapping should be reserved for apiaries under attack, using selective traps, with spring trapping focused on queens. In gardens, bottle traps are ineffective and harmful if they mainly catch wasps, butterflies, or flies.