The Asian yellow-legged hornet is present throughout France. It is classified as an invasive exotic species and has no predators in Europe.
The insect is responsible for around 20% of mortality in apiaries and represents an annual loss of 12 million euros for the beekeeping industry. The bill provides for the creation of a national control plan bringing together the State, scientists and local stakeholders. It also suggests strengthening the protection of hives as well as the destruction of nests, while preserving other insects as best as possible. The French taste on average 45,000 tonnes of honey per year, a volume significantly higher than the highly variable national production, according to the Confédération Paysanne. The Asian hornet also represents two other threats: one for the environment, another for public health. It could disappear every year in France, a study by Paris Saclay University and the National Museum of Natural History said. The first hornet was spotted in 2004 in Lot-Garonne, where studies are still lacking.