A crumpled kraft paper bag, inflated and tied to a department: right here is the tip shared many occasions on social networks and in sure media which might keep away from the invasion of Asian hornets yellow-legged in his garden this summer time.
The thought of this tip, offered as “obtainable to everybody”? Inflate and form the bag in order that it resembles a nest and set up it on a department or underneath the overhang of a roof to deceive insects. The latter, believing a colony was already established, would then select one other location to construct their nest. Final yr, the same method with false nests constituted of crochet had already been launched. However is it actually efficient?
“Cognitive schools”
“I feel this method doesn’t work in any respect,” says Quentin Rome, specialist of the hornet inside the Nationwide Museum of Pure Historical past. “Already, the hornet just isn’t that territorial,” he explains. They could battle over a searching web site, however nests could also be discovered subsequent to one another. »
For the skilled, regulation is predicated extra on sources. In an space wealthy in meals sources, “we are able to discover ourselves with a nest each twenty meters,” he assures. If conflicts do exist between “the founders”, these females who construct the nests, it’s moderately “to attempt to steal them from one another, as a result of it’s pricey”, he continues.
“They’re nonetheless bugs with cognitive schools,” provides François Lasserre, creator and vice-president of the NGO Workplace for bugs and their atmosphere (Opie). He too is skeptical about this trick. “The form may be taken extra into consideration by the insect, however there are different components: odors, the season, the presence of different people…” As well as, empty nests on the finish of winter are theoretically by no means reoccupied by colonies, he provides. Relatively unsuccessful, the paper bag.
Harm to beekeeping
However then what to do if Asian yellow-legged hornets, velutina nigrithorax wasp of their scientific title, come to settle in his backyard? “For people, sadly, there isn’t any answer apart from declaring the nests, which may be destroyed if crucial,” signifies Quentin Rome.
However once more, no miracles. “Destroying the nests has no impact on inhabitants regulation as a result of we don’t detect them early sufficient,” explains the specialist. And even when we detected all of them, we might not have the means to destroy all of them. » In 2024, round 20,000 Asian hornet nests may have been eradicated in France, in keeping with figures from the Prosane affiliation, which brings collectively pest management hygiene professionals.
François Lasserre particularly calls for enjoying down the drama. “Outdoors the nest, all these bugs are innocent. The bites are extremely rare “, he insists. “The harm is completely about beekeeping », recollects Quentin Rome. For professionals, strategies have just lately been developed to fight these predators, corresponding to electrical harps or muzzles.
Showing within the early 2000s in France, the Asian hornet has developed throughout the metropolitan territory. “There may be nothing extra we are able to do about it,” assures François Lasserre, defending a extra “animalistic” view of those bugs. “Since 2004, there have been two species of hornets and that’s how it’s,” he provides. The kraft bag might have a use in keeping with him nonetheless. “If it helps loosen up people who find themselves burdened by the hornets, then they will all the time check. »
