In short
Move back more than 5 m, don't touch the nest, don't try to destroy it and don't put up syrup traps. Report it to your town hall, which can point you to the right body and sometimes help with costs, or call an equipped professional directly, and remember to record it on the INPN website for national monitoring.
The yellow-legged Asian hornet has spread across mainland France since it arrived in 2004. Its nests aren't always where you'd expect: in a hedge, under a porch, in a garden shed or at the top of a tree.
What to do right away
ANSES recommends a simple approach:
- Keep a safe distance of 5 m and move children and pets away.
- Don't hit or hose the nest, and don't try to destroy it yourself.
- Don't set syrup traps: they mostly kill other insects and have almost no effect on the nest.
- Before trimming a hedge or shrub, check that no nest is hidden inside.
Who to contact
Your town hall (mairie) is the first point of contact: it knows which body coordinates control in the département, and some local authorities cover part of the cost. You can also report the nest on the INPN website, run by the National Museum of Natural History, to feed national monitoring.
For removal, call a professional with protective clothing, telescopic poles and authorised products. A law that came into force on 15 March 2025 stepped up the fight against the species' spread.
When to act
A primary nest found in spring is small and easy to treat: that's the best time. In summer and early autumn, the secondary nest is large and densely populated; if it's near a path or doorway, act quickly, before future queens leave it.
In midwinter, an empty nest no longer matters: the colony has died and the nest is never reused.
Key points
- Stay more than 5 m away and never try to destroy the nest.
- No non-selective syrup traps.
- Town hall, INPN and an equipped professional: the three useful contacts.
- The sooner the nest is destroyed, the simpler the job.
General information, correct at the date of publication; it does not replace personal legal or medical advice.