Skip to content

Heleen Van Ransbeeck

Drs. Heleen Van Ransbeeck
Terrestrial Ecology Unit
Department of Biology
Ghent University
K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35
9000 Gent Belgium

E-mail: Heleen Van Ransbeeck

The impact of the Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) on biodiversity and beekeeping practises

Biological invasions involve the intentional or unintentional transport or movement of a species outside its natural range by human activities and its introduction to new regions, where the species may become established and spread. Invasive alien species (IAS) represent a subset of alien species, being animals, plants and other organisms with negative impacts on biodiversity, local ecosystems and species. One IAS in Flanders is the Asian hornet, also known as the Yellow-legged hornet (Vespa velutina). Originating from Asia, this species was accidentally introduced via a pottery import in France in 2004. Following its introduction, the species successfully expanded its range across Europe, ultimately arriving in Flanders in 2017.

The overarching goal of my PhD is to understand the impact of the Asian hornet on biodiversity and beekeeping practices in Flanders. It is my objective to test and quantify these impacts in Flanders using spatial modelling, molecular tools and novel automatic census techniques. These insights will steer the policy on the species’ control and management. These goals can be subdivided into the following objectives:

  1. A predictive model will be developed to estimate near future nest densities in Flanders under different management scenarios.
  2. The ecological interactions of V. velutina will be analysed through metabarcoding the larval gut contents.
  3. The impact of the Yellow-legged hornet on colony development of honeybees (Apis mellifera) and the buff-tailed bumblebee (Bombus terrestris) will be assessed using monitoring devices.

This project is in close collaboration with the Research Institute Nature and Forest (INBO) (dr. Jasmijn Hillaert and Tim Adriaens) and Honeybee Valley UGent (PI prof. Dirk de Graaf and dr. Ellen Danneels).


Pictures by vespawatch.be

Publication list (UGent affiliations only)