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Recent strong winds and autumn leaf fall across France mean that many Asian hornet nests built during the summer are now visible, leading to potential issues for gardeners.

The one photographed above in south Charente sits at the top of a 15 metre-high linden tree where the top leaves have just been blown off, and is the size of an inflatable beach ball. I found it in my garden.

Although it was cold, around 10C in the afternoon, there was still a lot of hornet activity as the insects flew in and out of the nest.

Other neighbours and people walking up and down the road had not noticed the nest despite its proximity.

Expensive to remove

Official advice from the non-profit organisation Fredon, which the government appointed last year to oversee the management of Asian hornet populations, is to call a pest controller and have the nest destroyed.

Pest controllers are free to set their own prices. In most parts of the country these will range from €150 to €200, depending on how far they have to travel and how difficult the nests are to access.

Only one region, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, refunds a portion of the cost for those who apply through a claims process.

Following first sightings of Asian hornets in France in 2004, local fire brigades in some départements (for example, Gironde) intervened to destroy nests as part of their community services.

During this time it was discovered that the sting of the hornets, which can be half a centimetre long, was able to pierce standard-issued leather firefighter jackets.

A later re-organisation of fire services saw withdrawal of the provision along with a number of other community services.

At the time it was thought that the nests were not cause for undue alarm on the understanding that Asian hornets would die in typical European winters.

Now it is known that while the large part of the colony and the nest die naturally in winter, fertilised queens hibernate outside the nest in sheltered places. Though queens cannot survive extreme cold (prolonged temperatures below roughly -5 °C to -8 °C significantly increase mortality), European winters are generally mild enough to ensure their survival. 

There is no national register of the number of deaths from Asian hornet attacks, though surveys of newspaper reports suggest there have been at least five in France.

The Connexion has previously reported on some of the deaths, including the death of a gardener in September 2025 after he was stung multiple times.

Some of these have been when nests have fallen from trees onto the ground, resulting in hornets attacking passing people or vehicles.

Stings are very painful - rural pharmacies report people seeking pain relief.

Traps installed in spring

Fredon is currently co-ordinating area trapping campaigns of Asian hornets each spring to reduce the threat to the nation’s honey bees, but progress is slow.

In some cases, communes help with the cost of installing traps. However, if you spot a nest at this point in the year it is too late, and you should ensure you are careful not to be stung.

Asian hornets are smaller and usually darker than European hornets and have distinctive yellow legs.

Their nests are usually high in trees, like the one photographed above, and closed.

European hornets are larger, usually have black or brown legs, and their nests take the form of open cups.

DIY stores now sell powerful insecticide foggers, usually for around €15, which allow you to spray hornet nests from around six metres away.

However, professionals have advised they are only effective when the nests are smaller than the size of a melon.