Haven’t spotted any Oriental Hornets? Thank the weather

Oriental Hornets became a prominent subject of discussion last summer as people shared their encounters with the fierce creatures.

Their conspicuous presence was evident across both rural and urban settings, with the amber-toned insects buzzing around in search of food.

However, the situation has taken a positive turn this year.

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 honeybees.

Pest controller Arnold Sciberras said industry specialists were bracing themselves for a surge in hornet populations this summer, but several factors prevented this from happening.

“This year we had fluctuations in the weather and temperatures, and the hornet is not suitable for such weather patterns, leading to lower reproduction rates,” he said.

Apiculturist and Secretary General of Għaqda Trobbija tan-Naħal u Għasel Malti, Rodney Galea shared Sciberras’ sentiment, stating the longer winter helped curb hornet numbers.

The experts also agreed the culling of hornet queens has contributed greatly to keep oriental hornet populations under control.

“When you kill a queen, you prevent it from hatching around 1,000 workers and around 12 other queens,” Galea said. “So, you can see how the situation can quickly spin out of control.”

Sciberras said pest exterminators had been working on killing queens and nests from the early months of this year.

Rodney Galea also said during the past year there has been increased awareness among people on how to properly dispose of rubbish, and not leave organic matter out in the open. “A clear example of this are cat feeders, who across the country are making sure not to leave wet food lying out in the open, especially during warmer days.”

The positive effects are already being felt, and while beekeepers are still suffering last year’s effects, after more than 65% of the country’s honeybee populations were eradicated, the future looks bright.

“We have already registered an increase in honey production and bee populations, so yes, we are doing much better this year,” Galea said.

But both warned the situation should not be taken for granted.

“A drop in hornet populations was registered in 2013, and experts in the field thought they were gone forever, but we know what happened last year, and so we should not let our guard down,” Sciberras insisted.

Last year, government announced a financial aid scheme to help beekeepers buy equipment to catch oriental hornet queens and repopulate the local bee population.