Large Asian hornet nest found in empty house in Ypres

A property manager found an unusually large Asian hornet nest in an empty house in Ypres, Belgium.

The nest was nearly a metre long and about 80 centimetres wide, and the pest controller estimated it contained around 4,000 hornets.

A professional pest controller and a firefighter destroyed it in the evening, when the hornets were in or near the nest.

The controller said disturbing this nest could have been fatal, and reported that even one sting had once led to his hospitalisation.

People who find a nest should stay well away and call professionals, because Asian hornets defend their nests when threatened.

The controller said a warm summer may have helped the nest grow, and wants to investigate unusual insulation found beneath it.