Thermal method removes Asiatic hornet nest in Tyrol

A nest of Asiatic hornets has been removed in the municipality of Kössen, two weeks after the species was first spotted in Tyrol, ORF reported. Experts used a new hot steam method that does not require biocides or insecticides.

The nest of the yellow footed hornets was found by chance at a height of about 30 metres after a difficult search. On Thursday, the nest, the hornets and their brood were successfully treated and removed.

The thermal method was used for the first time in Austria to control the species. A pipe system operated from the ground directed hot steam into the nest, killing the hornets and brood without biocides or insecticides.

Andreas Tschöll, head of the official plant protection service, said controlling the Asiatic hornet was necessary to protect native biodiversity and prevent further spread. The species poses a serious threat to honeybees, wild bees and other native insects, he said.

In late summer and early autumn, a colony can contain up to 2,000 hornets. During this period, the insects can capture several hundred honeybees a day and up to 11 kilograms of insects over a season.

Any sighting or suspected sighting of an Asiatic hornet must be reported in Tyrol. Residents are asked to submit reports, preferably with clear photographs, through the Tyrol government’s central Velutina reporting portal or to their local municipality.

The hornet can be identified by its black body, an orange band on its abdomen and black legs with noticeably yellow tips. The insects are active only during the day.