Asian hornet reports surge as the invasive species spreads across Switzerland

Switzerland is receiving 150 to 250 Asian hornet reports a day, and the 2026 season is still under way. The volume recorded by the national reporting platform shows how quickly the invasive insect is moving beyond its first established footholds in western Switzerland.

Vaud and Geneva remain the most affected cantons. Reports are also increasing in Jura, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, Aargau, Solothurn and Bern, according to Carine Vogel, the biologist who processes submissions to frelonasiatique.ch. Many sightings are confirmed as Asian hornets after verification, although the platform has not yet produced a complete national assessment for the year.

The species matters because it feeds mainly on honeybees and other insects. That makes beekeepers a central part of the response, particularly in regions where colonies are already exposed to disease, weather stress and habitat pressures. A confirmed sighting can trigger a search for a nest, followed by removal by specialists.

For residents, the immediate instruction is practical: submit suspected sightings through the official platform and provide clear information that can help experts verify the insect. The reporting surge gives authorities more leads, but it also reflects the scale of the task facing cantonal services and specialist teams.

Vaud and Geneva remain the country’s main pressure points, while the reporting map is filling out across northern and central cantons. Vogel identified Jura, both Basel cantons, Aargau, Solothurn and Bern as areas increasingly affected by the spread.

The pattern suggests that the response can no longer focus only on the established western hotspots. Each new canton brings additional terrain to monitor, from gardens and orchards to woodland edges and urban green spaces. Asian hornet nests are often high in trees and concealed by foliage, which makes visual searches difficult and increases the value of targeted tracking.

The national platform plays an important filtering role. People can report an insect that resembles an Asian hornet, but specialists verify a large proportion of the submissions before authorities act. This distinction matters because identification errors can send teams after native insects or other hornet species that do not pose the same invasive threat.

The 2026 figures remain provisional. Hornet activity is seasonal, and the current daily reporting rate cannot yet be treated as a final annual total. Even so, the geographic expansion is clear enough to place new demands on cantonal coordination, beekeepers and residents who encounter the species.

Radio transmitters are helping specialists find nests hidden high in Swiss trees. Geneva beekeeper Kévin Golay and his team capture Asian hornets one at a time, attach small transmitters and release them. When the insects return to their colony, researchers follow the signal to the nest.

The method addresses one of the hardest parts of the response. A nest may sit well above ground level and disappear behind dense foliage, leaving little visible evidence from below. Tracking a worker provides a route to the colony and allows specialists to concentrate removal work at a precise location.

Golay, co-founder of the Geneva-based Pollinea Action association, said his team’s role ends once the nest has been located. Specialist crews then take over its removal. The division of work combines field observation, beekeeping knowledge and technical equipment, while limiting the time spent searching large areas without a confirmed target.

The technique also shows why a report from the public can have operational value. A verified sighting may identify an insect that can be captured and tracked, turning an isolated observation into a lead for a nest search. With reports arriving daily in the hundreds, teams must decide which sightings can produce the clearest path to action.