First Asian hornet nest discovered in Brandenburg: specialists prepare freezing removal in Eisenhüttenstadt
Specialists in Eisenhüttenstadt will freeze a nest of the invasive Asian hornet, the first ever found in Brandenburg, to protect honeybees and trace its origin.
Discovery in Eisenhüttenstadt
On 23 July 2026, a nest of the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina nigrithorax) was found under the roof overhang of an office building in Eisenhüttenstadt, a city on the Polish border. It is the first confirmed sighting of the invasive species in Brandenburg. The nest is described as fast-growing, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Potsdam confirmed the find. Until now, the hornet had been spreading mainly in western German states, with established populations along the Elbe in Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony.
Removal by freezing
Beekeeper Holger Ackermann, spokesman for the Brandenburg Beekeepers Association, will lead the removal on the morning of 24 July. He estimates the nest contains 50 to 100 hornets. The team will wear special protective suits and follow a precise sequence: plastic bags are placed over the nest, the hornets are transferred into a cool bag to make them sluggish, and then they are kept in a deep freezer for two days until dead.
You have to work quickly and in a well-organised way.
Ackermann dismissed panic, saying, "It is not a killer hornet." The beekeepers have been preparing for such a find for about two years, consulting experts from across Germany. This is the first operation of its kind in Brandenburg.
- Nest found under roof overhang of office building in Eisenhüttenstadt on 23 July 2026
- Specialists in protective suits place plastic bags over nest and transfer hornets to a cool bag on morning of 24 July
- Hornets kept in a deep freezer for two days until dead
- Dead hornets sent to a laboratory to trace their origin and introduction route
Tracing the origin
The dead hornets will undergo genetic analysis in a laboratory to determine how they reached eastern Brandenburg. The ministry noted that the location is surprising because previous sightings were expected in the west of the state, closer to the known Elbe corridor. The current hypothesis is that a queen was accidentally transported by humans. A similar isolated case occurred in Berlin in 2023, where rapid nest removal prevented further settlement.
The current find on the eastern state border is surprising and presumably goes back to a queen accidentally introduced by humans.
Threat to bees and humans
The Asian hornet preys heavily on honeybees, making it a serious concern for beekeepers and biodiversity. Nests are systematically destroyed in Germany to limit its spread. For people, a single hornet away from the nest is not aggressive, but caution is needed near nests built in carports, sheds, garages, or barns, as the insects will defend them vigorously if disturbed.
Away from the nest, it does not behave aggressively towards humans.
Because the Eisenhüttenstadt nest is isolated from the species' main range, experts see a good chance of preventing further expansion in the area.
