Pays Royannais: “The period for trapping Asian hornets is over!”

While the Royan Atlantique Urban Area distributes traps every year, the Natural Areas Department is reminding people of the correct practices to follow. It is now too late to prevent the creation of nests.

Buzzing sounds that are causing concern. The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) , also known as the yellow-legged hornet, is well established in Charente-Maritime and the Pays Royannais. Since its appearance in the department in 2007, the population of this bee-killing hornet, which is distinguished by its darker appearance with a brown and black thorax, has continued to grow, posing risks to biodiversity as well as public safety. So much so that the State has taken up the matter. The President of the Republic has promulgated a bill on Friday, March 14, 2025, aimed at preserving the beekeeping industry. A national control plan will be put in place that will, among other things, provide "funding dedicated to research into effective tools to stem the proliferation of this species."

With the Asian hornet now present throughout the Charente-Maritime region, the national FREDON network offers nest trapping and destruction services. Services are priced based on the size and height of the nests, with costs ranging from €85 for a primary nest at eye level to €205 for a nest located more than ten meters above the ground. Beekeepers are also available to intervene. In the Royannais region, the Royan Atlantique Urban Community (Cara) has implemented specific measures since 2017, distributing traps free of charge from February to April. This is a crucial period for capturing queen bees before nests form.

"This year, we distributed 600 traps, including 400 at the Cara headquarters and the rest to partner town halls. It's a small box into which you pour a sachet containing pheromones. You add water and sugar," says Hervé Aubert, head of the Cara's natural spaces and outdoor activities department. Homemade traps can also work very well with one-third white wine, one-third beer, and one-third grenadine. "Knowing that white wine is a repellent for bees, which are preserved," explains the specialist. The goal is to target the fight. Hence this call to stop trapping this May to avoid indiscriminately catching bees, wasps, and other butterflies.

"Traps are no longer useful. The queens have already built their primary nests. After hiding in winter, they emerge in January to create them with around ten workers. It's at this time, until April, that they must be trapped," insists Jérémy Bernardin, head of the natural spaces team at Cara. However, if a nest is spotted near a home, it must be eradicated. The risk is very real. In November 2015, a 54-year-old man died in Chaillevette, the victim of an Asian hornet sting. He was in his garden with his stepson when the two men were attacked.

The city of Royan also recommends vigilance during maintenance work on roofs, trees, hedges, or garden sheds, as nests can be built in these areas. Vigilance is required.