practical
Asian hornets in France - is November a good time to install traps?
There are two periods in a year when trapping is recommended
Published
Autumn is a good time to put out traps for Asian hornets in France as young queens prepare to hibernate for winter before establishing their new nests next spring.
There are two main periods when trapping queens can be effective, spring and autumn.
Although spring trapping, from late February to May, is the most important one, as it aims to catch queens before they make their nests, autumn trapping, from October to November, offers another opportunity to reduce their numbers.
The invasive species is a threat to honeybees and other insects, while its nests can be dangerous to people if approached.
How to trap Asian hornets
The commune of Bergerac in Dordogne put out a call to residents encouraging them to install traps.
One of their recommendations is installing a homemade one. These can be made from a plastic bottle with three holes measuring around 7 to 8.5mm in diameter.
The suggested bait is three-quarters of a glass of beer, one-quarter of a glass of white wine and a spoonful of grenadine or blackcurrant syrup.
The white wine is meant to discourage bees from entering the trap. The commune has also published a youtube video tutorial on how to make one.
However, homemade traps can also catch other insects, including ones that are important to the environment and biodiversity.
The Association pour la Protection et la Conservation de l'Abeille Noire de Belle-Île, for the black bee, (APCANBI) warns that trapping can affect non-target insects and advises using selective traps and restricting trapping to the recommended periods.
This is why traps designed to specifically target Asian hornets are preferable to improvised bottle traps.
French towns distribute traps
Several communes are distributing traps to residents for this trapping period as part of their efforts to control the invasive species.
For example, the commune of Bergerac, Dordogne, said it would distribute 150 reusable traps to residents.
One trap is available per household and address, available only to people living in the commune. Residents must present proof of address dated within the previous three months and complete a form at the mairie.
In Veurey-Voroize, Isère, the commune said that a small number of traps were still available. Its trapping campaign runs until the end of November, and residents are invited to contact the mairie to enquire after them.
Meanwhile, residents of the Stenay canton, Meuse, can collect free traps from their local mairie by presenting proof of address. They are also encouraged to count their captures and report back the results.
In Labarthe-sur-Lèze, Haute-Garonne, the Stop Frelon Lèze collective is organising a trap distribution campaign running until December 20.
These are just a few examples of communes organising such initiatives. If you would like to take part in autumn trapping, contact your local mairie to find out if free traps or other support schemes are available in your area.
