Beekeepers Urge Government Action as Oriental Hornets Threaten Bee Colonies
In brief
- Maltese beekeepers warned that surging Oriental hornet numbers are causing severe colony losses.
- Apiculture organisations called on authorities to launch a coordinated national eradication strategy.
- Predatory hornet attacks threaten local honey production and wider agricultural pollination.
Maltese beekeepers have sounded an alarm over growing populations of the Oriental hornet, warning that attacks by the predator are inflicting severe damage on honeybee colonies across the country.
The species, known locally as il-bagħal taż-żunżan and scientifically as Vespa orientalis, is native to the Maltese islands but has expanded significantly in recent years.
Apiary owners reported that swarms of hornets regularly raid hives to capture worker bees and consume stored honey, leaving affected colonies fatally weakened or destroyed.
Representatives of the local apiculture sector called on the government to intervene urgently by establishing a comprehensive national action plan to manage the problem.
Industry groups pointed out that escalating colony losses endanger not only domestic honey supplies but also the pollination of vital local crops.
Beekeepers stressed that without coordinated public monitoring and systematic nest removal, many small commercial apiaries will struggle to remain economically viable.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both outlets covered the beekeepers' concerns consistently, highlighting the predatory threat posed by Oriental hornets to local hives.