Asian hornet: why nests are getting closer to the ground (and 30% of bees decimated) in July 2026

When a beekeeper in Lot-et-Garonne discovers an Asian hornet nest only eighty centimetres off the ground, in a privet hedge along his apiary path, it is no longer a curiosity: it is a warning sign. La Dépêche on 14 July 2026 reports that, this season, Vespa velutina nests are being built noticeably lower than the traditional tree-top nests, and that some communes are seeing up to 30% of their bee colonies decimated. The "Comité frelon 47" is organising group orders of traps; town halls are preparing a collective response. Here is what you need to understand — and what to do, in the Paris region and elsewhere.

What is happening in July 2026

The map of Asian hornet expansion in France has shifted. According to public statistics consolidated by lefrelon.com (as of 20 July 2026):

• 1,329 nests reported nationwide;
• 1,164 nests confirmed by local referees;
• 867 nests destroyed by professionals.

The most affected departments: Bas-Rhin (290), Haut-Rhin (219), Bouches-du-Rhône (202), Ardèche (143) and Vosges (97). In the Paris region, the pressure is lower but grows every year, with identified hotspots in Essonne, Yvelines and Seine-et-Marne.

"We now find nests at human height, sometimes in low walls, under sheds, in woodpiles. It is a clear behavioural shift compared to five years ago." — a municipal hornet referee cited by La Dépêche, 14 July 2026.

This new reality changes the risk management equation for beekeepers and homeowners alike.

Why nests are getting closer to the ground

Several converging hypotheses explain this shift.

1. Warmer autumns

Vespa velutina has only survived in France thanks to mild winters. Over the last five years, late-season temperatures have stayed mild until late November, allowing young queens to found colonies later and choose more sheltered nesting sites — including close to the ground, where soil heat and vegetation cover stabilise temperatures.

2. Pressure to destroy high nests

Spring queen trapping, drone-based detection of tree-top nests and targeted destruction have dried up the high sites traditionally used. Colonies are now moving to lower sites, more discreet, harder to spot — but also more dangerous for people walking in their garden.

3. Urbanisation and micro-habitats

Stone walls, fence cavities, tree stumps, dense hedges, compost heaps, roller-shutter boxes, agricultural sheds: the proliferation of low micro-habitats offers countless nesting anchor points. A primary nest (spring) can develop there undetected, then evolve into a secondary nest (summer) of significant size — still at ground level.

4. Mimicry of the European hornet

The European hornet (Vespa crabro) naturally nests in low cavities (hollow trees, barns, chimneys). Vespa velutina partly follows this ecological niche, which it now occupies with little competition, the European hornet itself being in decline.

Asian hornet at the entrance of a low nest hidden in a hedge

30% of bees decimated: the beekeeping cost

The figure is striking. According to the Comité frelon 47 and several departmental beekeeping unions, some communes in south-western France are recording colony losses between 20% and 30% — a rate that can occasionally reach 40–50% in isolated apiaries. The mechanics:

• an Asian hornet nest consumes up to 25–30 kg of insects per season;
• honeybees (Apis mellifera) make up a large share of the late-summer diet, when other prey become scarce;
• against a low nest, foraging bees are intercepted in mid-air, sometimes at the height of the protection net, with no chance of escaping.

For an amateur beekeeper with 3 to 5 hives, losing a colony during the summer honey flow is economically unrecoverable and catastrophic for garden or orchard pollination. For a professional, it is a direct loss of income on sunflower or chestnut honey harvests.

"We saw entire hives stop foraging, the bees staying cloistered out of fear. The queen keeps laying but the colony weakens and dies off." — a Tarn beekeeper cited by La Dépêche, 14 July 2026.

Wooden beehive surrounded by foraging bees in summer

The human danger is also amplified

A nest at the top of a tree is visible from afar and inaccessible to children, pets and passers-by. A low nest is the exact opposite:

• it is within reach of a child playing in the garden;
• it is at the height of a dog sniffing the hedge;
• it is in the path of a lawnmower, a hedge trimmer or a leaf blower;
• it is hard to see, especially in a thick hedge, a stone wall or a woodpile.

A collective sting from an Asian hornet nest can be fatal: a colony can hold 2,000 to 4,000 individuals by late summer, and each can sting repeatedly. For people allergic to hymenoptera venom, this causes anaphylactic shock, requiring an adrenaline injection within minutes.

Remember: any hornet nest, regardless of height, must be treated as dangerous. Never intervene alone, never approach within 5 metres, do not shake the surrounding vegetation.

For a complete refresher on what to do, see our guide on who to call when facing an Asian hornet nest and our practical factsheet on how to recognise a nest before it is too late.

The collective response from communes

In the face of this behavioural shift, communes are not standing still. Several levers are being activated in parallel.

Group orders of traps

The Comité frelon 47 organises, every spring and early summer, group orders of selective traps (jabot funnel with sweet or protein bait) at negotiated prices — around €30–40 per unit instead of €50 in specialist shops. The aim: equip every willing household and create a spring trapping network that kills foundresses before they can establish a nest.

This type of initiative is spreading: similar schemes are found in Bas-Rhin, Gironde, Vendée and, since 2025, in several communities of communes in the Paris region (CC du Pays de Meaux, CA Paris-Saclay).

Professionalised, funded destruction

The law n° 2025-237 of 14 March 2025 and its implementing decree of 29 December 2025 have opened the way to a national control plan funded with €3 million per year. In practice, communes can now:

• cover part of the cost of destroying a nest (50% to 100% depending on the local authority);
• contract with Certibiocide-certified companies for rapid interventions;
• pool reports via online platforms (run by regional FREDONs or communautés de communes).

For the full framework, see our dedicated article on the 2026 national plan and the aids for destroying a nest.

Spring trapping vs. summer destruction

Specialists keep repeating it: spring trapping (March–May) is ten times more effective than summer destruction. A queen trapped in March means a whole nest that will never exist. Destroying a nest in August only removes the current colony: the mated young queens have already left and will found next year's colonies.

This is why the municipal calendar is now organised around three milestones:

1. March–May: trapping of foundresses (funnel + bait).
2. June–July: surveillance and detection of primary nests.
3. August–November: destruction of secondary nests (high or low).

Selective Asian hornet trap hung in a tree in summer

What to do in the Paris region: the ProDeratisation protocol

Our intervention method, applied for five years to homeowners, property managers and beekeepers across the Paris region (Paris, Seine-et-Marne, Yvelines, Essonne, Val-de-Marne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis, Val-d'Oise):

1. Free phone diagnostic within 2 hours, with risk qualification (nest height, likely species, presence of animals, accessibility).
2. Certibiocide-certified technician dispatched within 24 to 48 hours, urgent if a low nest is accessible to children or pets.
3. Environment survey: search for primary nests, check water points, hedges, low walls, woodpiles, shutter boxes.
4. Destruction by injection (powder or CO2 lance depending on configuration), then removal of the nest and treatment of the site.
5. Installation of monitoring traps at queen entry points (roof, chimney, eaves).
6. Written report delivered to the client, with photos and recommendations for spring trapping the following year.

Average cost observed in 2026: between €90 and €220 for a low nest, between €150 and €350 for a high nest requiring a cherry picker. The cost is often covered by the commune, by home insurance (depending on contract) or by the property manager.

Request a nest destruction quote | Hornet emergency 24/7 | See our pricing

Protecting your apiary: 4 reflexes for the amateur beekeeper

If you have one or two hives in your garden or on your balcony (urban connected hives are multiplying in the Paris region):

• Reduce hive entrances from July onwards with a hornet muzzle (6 mm mesh that lets bees through but blocks hornets) — cost: €15–30 per hive.
• Install a selective hornet trap 10–15 m from the apiary, with bait renewed every 2 weeks.
• Watch for hovering flights in front of the landing board: a hornet hovering is hunting.
• Do not leave super frames open late in the season: honey attracts hornets.

For a broader view of whole-property prevention, you can also read our article on summer anti-pest reflexes and our guide on controlling processionary caterpillars in July, another seasonal hazard to treat without delay.

In summary

Summer 2026 marks a behavioural turning point in the expansion of the Asian hornet in France: nests are descending, bees are paying the price, and the response is being organised at the commune level. Three reflexes to keep in mind:

• ✅ Low nest = dangerous nest: it is in your living area, not just the neighbour's tree.
• ✅ Trap in spring rather than destroy in summer: it is ten times more effective and ten times cheaper.
• ✅ Call a Certibiocide-certified professional: never intervene alone, report to your town hall and your insurer.

ProDeratisation operates 7 days a week in the Paris region for the destruction of Asian hornet nests — free diagnostic, intervention within 24 to 48 hours, immediate quote. If you suspect a nest, near a hive, under a roof or in a hedge, do not let it grow: contact us today.

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