Abstract In 2004, the yellow-legged hornet Vespa velutina nigrithorax was first introduced in France and has since then dispersed throughout Europe, putting pressure on ecological, economic, and public health systems. To control this invasive species, authorities and the population have worked together to find effective and affordable solutions. Baited traps are a common option to capture individual hornets, as they are easily developed and accessible. Nevertheless, their impact on non-target species is often pointed out as a main drawback. In this study, we evaluated the impact of artisanal and commercial traps and baits on non-target insects and assessed the effectiveness and selectiveness of alternative traps to reduce the negative impacts of baited traps. Results show that in most baited traps, more than 98.5% of captured insects are not V. v. nigrithorax, evidencing the need to increase traps’ selectiveness. On the other hand, one of the alternative traps (NATIVA) showed a 96% reduction in the bycatch of non-target organisms, proving to be a friendlier alternative for baited traps.
Fernandes et al. (Sun,) studied this question.