It is a question we hear every autumn. The trees thin out, and a beige sphere, sometimes as big as a football, appears at the top of an oak or a plane tree. It has been there since summer, hidden by the leaves. Should you have it destroyed now, wait for winter or leave it alone? The answer depends on the very particular calendar of an Asian hornet colony.
The Asian hornet in brief
The yellow-legged Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) was first detected in France in 2004, in the Lot-et-Garonne department. It is now present in most regions, including Île-de-France.
You can recognise it by its dark, almost black body, a single broad orange band on the abdomen and the yellow tips of its legs. It is slightly smaller than the European hornet, which is reddish-brown and yellow.
Since a ministerial order of December 2012, it has been classed in France as a category 2 health hazard for honeybees: it is a formidable bee predator that hunts by hovering in front of hives.
The calendar of a colony
A colony only lives for one season. The nest is never reused the following year.
| Period | What happens |
|---|---|
| Late winter, spring | The founding queen comes out of hibernation and builds a small primary nest on her own, often sheltered (garden shed, porch, hedge) |
| Early summer | The colony grows and often moves to a secondary nest, usually high in a tree |
| Summer, early autumn | Peak activity: several thousand individuals, heavy pressure on apiaries |
| Autumn | Males and future queens (next year's founders) are produced and leave the nest to mate |
| Late autumn, early winter | Workers, males and the old queen die with the cold; the nest empties and falls apart |
What happens in November
November is a turning point. In most nests the future queens have already left the colony: once mated, they look for shelter to spend the winter alone, in the ground, under bark, in a crevice. They are the ones who will found next spring's nests.
In mild autumns, though, some colonies stay active late, sometimes into December. So a nest seen in November may still hold workers, and occasionally future queens.
Why so many nests are found now
Falling leaves reveal nests built since June, often more than ten metres up. That is why reports rise in November, even though many of these nests are near the end of their life. A secondary nest can measure several tens of centimetres. Its entrance is a small hole on the side, whereas the European hornet's nest, often built in a cavity, opens at the bottom.
Should the nest still be destroyed?
That is the real question. Our answer from the field:
- The nest still shows activity (hornets visibly coming and going at the entrance, watched through binoculars on a sunny afternoon): destroying it is still worthwhile, especially near a footpath, a school or an apiary. It can still remove future queens that have not left.
- No activity over several mild days: the nest is probably empty. Destroying it achieves nothing. It will break up on its own in winter weather.
- The nest is empty but falling or in the way: it can be removed for safety, with no treatment.
Whatever the case, never try to reach it yourself, whether with a pole, a jet of water or a projectile. A disturbed colony defends itself en masse, and multiple stings are dangerous, especially for people with allergies.
How a professional destruction works
The technician first observes the nest to judge its activity and how easy it is to reach. They prefer to work late in the day, when the workers are back. The biocide is injected into the heart of the nest using a telescopic pole or, for very high nests, suitable equipment. Where possible, the nest is then taken down and removed so that birds do not eat contaminated larvae.
And in spring?
The most useful control happens early in the season: finding and destroying primary nests, which are small and often within reach, before the colony grows. Trapping founding queens is debated: only selective traps, set at the right time and particularly near apiaries, limit the capture of other insects. In many French regions, reporting platforms, often run by agricultural or beekeeping health bodies, collect nest sightings.
Calling DeratiseurPRO
Our technicians work across the whole Île-de-France region on wasp and hornet nest removal, with an honest diagnosis: if the nest is empty, we tell you so. To identify the species, read our guides to the Asian hornet and the wasp. Prices are on the pricing page and you can book online.
FAQ
Your questions
Is an Asian hornet nest reused the following year?
No. The colony dies in late autumn or early winter, and the nest is never reoccupied. New founding queens build a fresh nest in spring, sometimes close to the old one. An empty nest eventually disintegrates in the rain and wind.
Should an Asian hornet nest found in November be destroyed?
Only if it still shows activity. Watch the entrance through binoculars on a mild afternoon: hornets coming and going mean that workers, possibly future queens, are still there, and destroying the nest is still worthwhile. With no activity for several days, the nest is probably empty and destroying it achieves nothing.
Where do Asian hornets spend the winter?
Only mated future queens survive the winter. They spend it alone, sheltered from the cold, in the ground, under bark, in a crack in a wall or a woodpile. Workers, males and the old queen die when the cold arrives. The founding queens re-emerge in late winter or spring.
