The number of Asian hornets sighted in Switzerland exploded in 2024, new data has revealed. The invasive species is expected to have a profound impact on Swiss wildlife, especially the country’s vital bee population.
Asian hornet population in Switzerland soars
At a press conference in Bern last weekend, Carine Vogel, the biologist who runs the official Asian hornet reporting platform in Switzerland, revealed that sightings of the species have skyrocketed in the last year. In 2024, 3.829 confirmed finds were officially reported, compared to 1.399 the year before. Based on the data, Vogel can deduce that the Asian hornet population of Switzerland has roughly tripled in the last year.
The Asian hornet first arrived in Europe 20 years ago, likely in a shipment of Chinese pottery. After spreading across the southwest of France, the species arrived in Canton Jura in 2017. It has now found a home across the alpine nation, particularly around Bern, Basel and Zurich.
Swiss wildlife feels the sting of invasive species
Though they are smaller than their European counterparts, the Asian hornet is expected to have a dramatic impact on wildlife in Switzerland. Speaking to the Tages-Anzeiger, the president of the Swiss beekeepers' association Martin Schwegler noted that they eat “an insane amount” of bees. Estimates show that a single hornet’s nest consumes 10 kilograms of insects a year, or around four hives of bees.
As a result of the hornet, bees tend to bunker down in their hives and therefore don’t collect food or spread the pollen that is so vital to plants and agriculture - the threat of the Asian hornet alone, therefore, can cause bee colonies to die. At the same time, the hornet has no natural predators in Switzerland, meaning there is nothing stopping their spread.
Switzerland must do more to contain the Asian hornet
According to the Tages-Anzeiger, approximately 700 Asian hornet nests were destroyed in 2024, double the number from the year before. However, lawmakers argue that local action is not enough: "The federal government must act immediately, coordinate better and support the cantons more effectively," Green State Councillor Maya Graf told the Tages-Anzeiger.
Schwegler noted that there is “no legal basis for a national strategy” on controlling Asian hornets, while Swiss cantons lack the finances to deal with the problem effectively on their own. Therefore, lawmakers have put forward two motions calling on the government to act - though to date, the Federal Council has been opposed to the measures, arguing it is up to the cantons to face the issue.
For their part, the Federal Office of the Environment (FOEN) told the Tages-Anzeiger that while the Asian hornet is a “high priority” matter, the speed of their spread makes them harder to contain. Nevertheless, the FOEN will release new guidance on how to handle the Asian hornet in the spring.
How to spot an Asian hornet
For now, anyone who spots an Asian hornet is encouraged to report the sighting at the official website. They can be recognised via their yellow legs and black body, and the fact that they build their pear-shaped nests in trees, bushes and roofs. Unlike European hornets, they build the entrance to their nest on the side rather than the bottom.