The French government has officially adopted a national plan to combat the Asian hornet with yellow legs, a highly invasive species that has been present in the country for over 20 years. The plan, published in the Official Journal on September 16, 2026, aims to better coordinate surveillance, trapping, and destruction of nests across the country. The plan was signed by Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard and Ecology Minister Mathieu Lefèvre.
The Asian hornet with yellow legs (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) is an exotic invasive species from Southeast Asia that was accidentally introduced to France in 2004. Since then, it has colonized all metropolitan departments, posing a significant threat to domestic bees and the apiculture industry. The hornet is a major predator of hymenopterans, particularly targeting bee workers in front of beehives, further weakening colonies already under pressure from other health issues.
The new national plan focuses on the most widespread and documented species, the Asian hornet with yellow legs. The plan aims to "strengthen and coordinate the fight across the entire territory," with the goal of limiting the impact of the hornet on bee colonies. The plan's implementation will involve several stakeholders, including state services, local authorities, apiculture defense groups, and individuals who are encouraged to report the presence of nests on their property.
A key aspect of the plan is the establishment of a common framework for surveillance and reporting of nests across the metropolitan territory. This will involve reinforced coordination between public actors and apiculturists to organize trapping and destruction of nests. The plan also aims to provide a regulatory framework for initiatives that were previously mainly local or departmental.
The adoption of the national plan follows several years of mobilization by the apiculture sector, which has faced significant losses of colonies attributed in part to the pressure exerted by the Asian hornet. The plan's implementation is expected to facilitate the identification of authorized professionals and the processing of reports, a point often identified as a bottleneck by local elected officials.
The fight against the Asian hornet concerns not only apiculturists but also the general public, as nests must be reported and destroyed by authorized professionals due to the risk of stings. The plan is part of a growing concern for protecting biodiversity and indigenous species in the face of invasive exotic species. The authorities have not yet communicated a detailed deployment schedule or associated budget.
The plan's effectiveness will be tested during the upcoming spring trapping campaigns, when founding queens emerge from hibernation. The French government has encouraged individuals to report any sightings of Asian hornet nests to local authorities or apiculture defense groups, which will then arrange for authorized professionals to destroy the nests.
Key points
- The French government has adopted a national plan to combat the invasive Asian hornet, which threatens bee colonies and the apiculture industry.
- The plan aims to coordinate surveillance, trapping, and destruction of nests across the country.
- The Asian hornet has been present in France for over 20 years and has colonized all metropolitan departments.
