From December, the nest is empty and the colony is dead. An empty nest is never recolonised — neither the following year, nor by another colony. Having it removed has no health benefit and does nothing to reduce the population the following spring: the future queens have left to overwinter elsewhere, scattered in the environment.
Key points
- The whole colony dies: the old queen, the workers and the males.
- The nest is never reoccupied. Not in spring, not by another species.
- The future queens are not in the nest: they overwinter alone, elsewhere.
- Nothing to do. The weather breaks the nest down on its own.
- A nest found in winter is not a sign of danger — it is a sign that the leaves have fallen.
What exactly happens in autumn?
The number of adult hornets peaks in October-November. This is also when the nest produces males and sexual females: after mating, the young fertilised females leave the nest and disperse.
Then everything stops. The old queen, the workers and the males die with the cold. From December, all that remains is an empty shell of chewed-wood paper.
This mechanism is well documented: the Anses report uses the cycle established by Rome and colleagues, and it is explicit — "the whole colony dies when winter comes. An empty nest is never recolonised but may remain for several months after the colony has disappeared".
Why do we see so many nests in winter?
Because the leaves fall, not because the nests arrive.
According to data from the French National Museum of Natural History, 73% of nests are built in trees more than 10 metres up. They stay hidden all summer by the foliage, and suddenly appear when the leaves fall — often a few dozen metres from a house whose occupants had noticed nothing all season.
In other words: a nest discovered in November was already there in August. Finding it late is not a sign that things are getting worse, only that it has become visible.
Where have the queens gone?
Not in the nest. This is the point that changes everything.
The young fertilised females — next year's founders — overwinter alone, scattered in the environment: an old tree trunk, leaf litter, a woodpile, a crevice, sometimes the ground. They never return to the nest they were born in.
They will come out at the end of winter, each to found a new primary nest on her own in a sheltered spot.
The direct consequence: destroying a nest in winter removes no queens and therefore does nothing to reduce the following year's population. It has no effect.
Should a nest be removed in winter?
No. Not for safety — the nest is empty — and not to limit next year's population — the queens are elsewhere.
An intervention costs €70 to €250 and brings no benefit at this time of year. The weather takes care of the nest: it falls apart over the months in the rain and wind.
Only one exception justifies taking it down: when it is badly placed and genuinely in the way — on a shutter, a gutter, a garden shed. This is then a mechanical removal, without insecticide, and more a matter of careful DIY than of controlling the species.
If you have the slightest doubt about whether the nest is still active — hornets coming and going in mild weather, for example — treat it as an active nest and do not go near it.
What to do if you find an active nest?
Is it worth reporting a nest in winter?
For an intervention, no. For knowledge of the species, yes.
A nest spotted in winter tells us the colony was present during the past season, and which locations the species prefers in your area. It is useful data for mapping and for measuring the predation pressure in an area.
Just state that the nest is inactive: the report will be recorded as such and will not trigger any unnecessary steps.
Frequently asked questions
Can the nest be used by another species?
No. No colony reoccupies an Asian hornet nest, and wasps and European hornets build their own every year.
At what temperature do Asian hornets die?
There is no single documented threshold. What is established is the timing: the colony dies out at the start of winter, while the fertilised females survive the cold in their overwintering shelter. Be wary of precise figures given without a source.
How long does an empty nest stay in place?
Several months, depending on how exposed it is. A sheltered nest can last until the following spring; a nest exposed to wind and rain falls apart faster.
Should founders be trapped when they come out of hibernation?
Only as part of a coordinated programme. Isolated trapping has no measurable effect and catches many non-target insects. See the trapping page
Sources
Information checked on 17/08/2026.