[WATCH] Killer hornet population growth threatening honey bees, apiculturists warn

An “alarming increase” in the population of oriental hornets is wreaking havoc among honey bees and has apiculturists calling for measures to control the killer wasps.

The Coalition for the Conservation of the Maltese Bee said the spread of the oriental hornet, which is indigenous to the Maltese islands, and the increase in population size have been significant over the past few years.

The oriental hornet is reddish brown in colour with a distinctive yellow discoloration on its head and abdomen. It starts appearing at around May all through to October. The hornet has an aggressive temperament and is also a predator that can kill insects like grasshoppers and honey bees.

“This rise in numbers and spread of the oriental hornet is a threat to apiculture and our communities,” the coalition of apiculturists said in a letter to the Environmental Resources Authority that was copied to the agriculture and environment ministries.

The concerns stem from hornet attacks on honey bee colonies. They warn that the hostile presence of hornets is leading to the death of young bees, a consequent drop in honey bee populations thus reducing the amount of honey produced every year. Apiculturists aid that the tendency of honey bees to protect themselves by staying inside their respective boxes rather than go out and gather nectar also endangers the preservation of natural habitats because of a lack of pollination.

Apiculturists are calling for a coordinated effort to reduce the population size of oriental hornets, which they say has become a pest.

The growth of the oriental hornet population has been attributed to increased urbanisation, which provides habitats and food on which the wasps thrive, as well as climate change.

In a statement on Wednesday, Nationalist Party agriculture spokesperson Toni Bezzina called on government to take heed of the warnings.

He called for a “holistic plan” to control the population of oriental hornets so that the domestic honey-making industry can thrive.

In comments to MaltaToday two years ago, pest exterminator Arnold Sciberras had warned that the oriental hornet’s spread in Malta was growing. In that year alone, 3,766 oriental hornet nests were recorded, each with populations varying between 30 to around 400 hornets.

“It can kill large insects like grasshoppers and the highly beneficial honey bee. Some have also been recorded attacking bird and mice nests. The hornet can sometimes be seen stalking public areas for human food,” Sciberras had said.

The pest exterminator also warned of the hornet’s very painful sting, with sting victims urged to seek medical attention. An urticarial rash, facial swelling and difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath and wheezing can occur. Victims have also reported low blood pressure and a fast heartbeat.

READ ALSO: Invasion alert | aggressive Oriential hornet’s spread in Malta is growing