How does the Asian Hornet hunt? Bee predation explained

Key takeaways

Hunting technique: The Asian hornet employs hovering flight in front of beehives, capturing bees in mid-flight and keeping only their protein-rich thoraxes, which it brings back to the nest to feed its larvae.

Key figures:

• A colony consumes an average of over 11 kg of insects between March and October.
• That's approximately 97,000 insects captured per nest during its development (Q. Rome, MNHN).
• Diet: approximately 38% domestic bees, 30% flies, 20% wasps, according to the Rome et al., 2021 study.
• A single hornet can capture up to 50 bees per day during peak season.

Actual impact:

• On domestic bees: major and documented impact (weakening, paralysis of the hive, winter mortality).
• On wild pollinators: targeted impact on abundant species; remains limited for most species according to the MNHN.

The paradox: According to the MNHN, non-selective traps used to combat the Asian hornet could have a more negative impact on biodiversity than the hornet itself (99% of non-target species captured). Hence the absolute importance of selective trapping.

Hovering: A Unique Weapon in Europe

To understand what makes the Asian hornet so formidable, one must first understand what it does that others do not. The answer lies in two words: hovering flight.

Hovering — the ability to remain motionless in the air, like a hummingbird or a helicopter — is an extremely rare aerial skill among European social insects. Wasps and European hornets are almost incapable of it. Bees, which have other defense systems, have never evolved to counter a predator capable of patrolling indefinitely in front of their hive.

Vespa velutina, however, has made it its specialty. It can hover for several tens of seconds, sometimes more, only 20 to 30 centimeters from the landing board of a hive. It is this unique aerial skill that makes its hunting technique so effective.

As explained by the National Museum of Natural History (MNHN) website, which has been tracking the Asian hornet since its arrival in France: "Hovering some twenty centimeters from the hive entrance, a V. velutina worker regularly replaces another to capture foraging bees returning laden with pollen."

This is the secret to its predation: the hive is a predictable concentration point where hundreds of bees enter and exit every hour. For a predator capable of hovering, it's an all-you-can-eat buffet.

The precise course of an attack

A typical Asian hornet attack on a beehive unfolds in several stages clearly identified by researchers.

Step 1: Scouting

An Asian hornet worker in search of protein detects a hive thanks to the olfactory and visual signals emitted by the colony (pheromones, intense bee movement). Once the hive is identified as "productive", the hornet returns regularly and signals the area to its nest mates.

Step 2: The hunting post

The hornet positions itself facing the landing board, at the level of the bee entrances and exits. It maintains a precise hovering flight, 20-30 cm from the hive. Several hornets can take turns at the same post — at any given moment, there is usually only one hornet in position in front of the hive, but the post remains "occupied" almost continuously.

Step 3: Mid-air capture

When a foraging bee returns — laden and therefore slower — or leaves — not yet at full speed — the hornet swoops down on it. It seizes it between its legs in mid-flight. The capture lasts a few seconds.

Step 4: Dismemberment

The hornet carries its prey to a nearby branch. There, it performs a quick and methodical dismemberment: it decapitates the bee, removes the wings, legs, and abdomen, keeping only the thorax, the part richest in muscles and protein. It forms a small ball which it takes back to the nest.

Step 5: Return to the nest

The thorax is brought back to the nest and given to the larvae, which depend entirely on the protein intake from the hunting workers. The larvae demand a meal every two hours, which explains the intensity of the hunting rhythm during peak season.

Hunting efficiency

According to field observations, a single hornet can capture up to 50 bees per day during periods of high activity (August-October). And in front of a heavily attacked hive, one can observe up to 15 or 20 hornets taking turns at the hunting post, some hovering, others waiting on the hive or nearby branches.

Why European bees don't know how to defend themselves

A question often arises: why don't bees know how to defend themselves against this predator? The answer lies in evolution.

In Asia, where Vespa velutina is native, Asian bees (Apis cerana) have co-evolved with it for millions of years. They have developed a remarkable defense technique: when a hornet approaches, dozens of bees rush towards it, surround it, and form a "heat ball." By vibrating their muscles, they raise the temperature to over 45°C, which kills the hornet without killing the bees, which are more heat-resistant.

But the European honey bee, Apis mellifera, has never encountered this predator in its evolutionary history. It has no adapted defense technique. Faced with a hovering Asian hornet, it can:

• Attempt to attack it individually (usually ineffective, as the hornet is much larger and better armed)
• Form a defensive cluster — but much less effective than the Asian "heat ball"
• Take refuge in the hive and stop venturing out

It is this last option that poses the real ecological problem: when the pressure becomes too great, bees stop foraging. And a hive that no longer forages is a hive that slowly dies. To understand the extent of the potential disaster, you can consult our article on the importance of solitary bees in biodiversity.

The impact on apiaries: a nightmare for beekeepers

Beyond the simple capture of individuals, Asian hornet predation has cascading consequences on bee colonies.

Direct weakening

Every captured bee represents a net loss for the hive. It's an experienced forager that will never bring back nectar or pollen again. Over a season, individual losses accumulate and represent a measurable decrease in production.

Behavioral stress

This is perhaps the most serious impact. Faced with the permanent presence of hornets, bees become highly stressed. They modify their behavior: shorter outings, limited foraging, formation of defensive clusters at the entrance. In heavily attacked apiaries, foraging activity can drop dramatically.

Winter reserve deficit

The attack intensifies from late summer onwards, a crucial period when bees raise the last workers of the year and build up their honey reserves for winter. A hive that no longer ventures out due to hornet pressure is a hive that doesn't have time to store provisions. Consequence: the colony enters winter weakened and underfed, which considerably increases the risk of winter mortality.

The final nest attack

In some cases, when the defending bees are exhausted or too few, hornets actually enter the hive. They no longer only capture adult foragers, but also take brood (larvae and pupae), which can mean the death of the colony in a few weeks.

Geographical effect

The Asian hornet is faithful to its hunting areas. An apiary identified as productive is attacked regularly, sometimes until complete exhaustion. This is why the CARI (Apiarian Research and Information Centre) sometimes recommends that beekeepers move their hives in cases of high pressure, to break the predation cycle.

What exactly does it eat? The quantified reality

While predation on domestic bees is emblematic, it represents only a part of the Asian hornet's diet. A scientific study by Rome et al., published in 2021 in the Annales de la Société entomologique de France, analyzed its diet in France in detail.

The menu of an Asian hornet colony

According to this study, out of the 11 kg of insects consumed on average by a nest during the season:

• Approximately 38%: domestic bees (Apis mellifera)
• Approximately 30%: flies (various diptera)
• Approximately 20%: social wasps and other hymenoptera
• The remainder: butterflies, spiders, other opportunistic insects

This diet varies significantly depending on the nest's environment: more flies in urban areas, more bees near apiaries, more wasps in certain forest configurations. The Asian hornet is what is called a generalist and opportunistic predator: it hunts what it finds abundant and easy to catch.

In total volume, it's about 97,000 insects captured per nest during its development, according to Quentin Rome's (MNHN) estimates. A staggering figure when multiplied by the number of nests present in a colonized territory.

A nuanced impact on wild pollinators

Here's an important nuance provided by science. MNHN researchers emphasize that the impact on wild pollinators remains limited for most species, because the hornet primarily targets abundant and clustered prey—which domestic hive bees are, but most solitary bees are not.

This does not mean that wild pollinators are spared. Bumblebees, hoverflies, butterflies, and solitary bees are on the menu, but in smaller proportions and with an ecological impact still under evaluation. The national action plan against the Asian hornet published in 2025 also mentions that these effects "must be further investigated, taking into account local contexts."

The impact in your garden: not just for beekeepers

We talk a lot about beekeepers and hives. But Asian hornet hunting also has consequences in private gardens, even without domestic bees.

Opportunistic hunting near flowers

Where there are many pollinators, there is hunting. A flowerbed, a generous vegetable patch, an attractive compost heap, a fruit tree in bloom become regular hunting grounds for hornets in search of protein for their larvae. If your garden attracts pollinators (and that's a good thing!), it also indirectly attracts their predators.

Pressure on solitary pollinators

Solitary bees (mason bees, leafcutter bees, sweat bees, etc.) do not live in colonies, but they are absolutely dependent on the melliferous plants in the garden. When a hornet hunts them, it is an entire offspring that disappears with them (a solitary female represents 15 to 20 eggs for the next season).

An invisible disturbance

You will probably never see a predation scene in your garden. Hornets hunt quickly, carry away their prey, and leave no visible carcasses (except sometimes a few remains of bee heads on the ground). But the pressure exists, and it adds to all the other threats facing pollinators (pesticides, climate change, habitat loss).

What can be done about this hunting behavior?

Precise knowledge of the Asian hornet's hunting technique also allows for better combat. Here are the main strategies, classified by scientifically validated efficacy level.

For beekeepers

Electric harps: Placed in front of hives, they use the hornets' lateral flight path to capture them without harming bees. According to ITSAP-Institut de l'abeille data, they can reduce attacks by approximately 90% with negligible impact on non-target species. This is currently the most effective and respectful tool for direct hive protection during the season.

Entrance muzzles and screens: These prevent hornets from hovering directly in front of the landing board. A scientific study showed that a fine-mesh screen could reduce hive paralysis by 80% and improve their survival by 51% under high pressure.

Apiary relocation: An effective technique in case of massive attack, because hornets are faithful to their hunting areas. Moving hives breaks the predation cycle, at least temporarily.

For individuals and communities

Selective spring trapping: Intercepting queen founders in March-April, before they establish their colonies, remains the most cost-effective action at the scale of a garden or a municipality. Selective is the key word: a trap that allows bees, butterflies, and other pollinators to escape. To learn more, consult our dedicated page on trapping Asian hornets in spring.

Reporting nests: Any discovered nest must be reported. Professional destruction remains the only safe way to neutralize an active colony.

Absolute refusal of non-selective traps: This is the crucial warning from the MNHN. Homemade traps (cut bottles) capture approximately 99% of non-target insects according to published research. Researchers estimate that these traps could have a more negative impact on biodiversity than the hornet itself.

An equilibrium still under construction

Twenty years after its arrival in France, the Asian hornet is still the subject of active research. Much is known: the hunting technique, the diet, the impact on apiaries. Less is known about other aspects: the exact regional invasion dynamics, the long-term effect on wild pollinators, the potential for co-evolution of European bees.

What is certain is that it is a species now permanently established in France, and that management will not involve eliminating the hornet — that has become impossible on a large scale — but by containing its pressure on vulnerable ecosystems.

On an individual scale, understanding how it hunts already means better knowing how to avoid it, counter it, and protect what deserves to be protected: our bees, our wild pollinators, the invisible but essential balance of our gardens.

Buzz you soon, Buzette.

Want to reduce the Asian hornet's pressure on your pollinators? Discover Hornet EcoTrap, the selective trap made in France that intercepts queen hornets in spring, without harming bees, bumblebees, butterflies, and other pollinators.

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