Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1479881
6 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 25 SEPTEMBER 2022 NEWS IN one fell swoop the hornet pounces on the honey bee, catch- es the prey by its strong mandi- bles and flies off with the power- less insect. This may sound like a scene out of a David Attenborough docu- mentary on predatory animals but for Maltese beekeepers this has become a regular occurrence. Too regular in fact, as honey bee colonies fall prey to the growing population of oriental hornets in Malta. The oriental hornet, known by its scientific name Vespa orien- talis, is recognised by its distinct reddish brown colour and yellow discoloration on its head and ab- domen. It is indigenous to the Maltese islands and in the 1980s had also been listed as an endangered spe- cies in the first Red Data Book for the Maltese islands. Published in 1989, the book provided a list of flora and fauna found in Malta and Gozo, and alongside the entry for the ori- ental hornet, known as Bagħal taż-Żunżan in Maltese, the au- thors wrote: "Previously common throughout the Maltese islands, this large social wasp is now only found in a few localities in Gozo. The reason for this decline is not known but is possibly due to nat- ural causes coupled with human persecution." More than three decades later, the numbers of the oriental hor- net have grown uncontrollably and its spread is much wider than 'a few localities in Gozo'. The expansion in population is not only threatening the liveli- hood of apiculturists but is also becoming a public health men- ace. Dylan Farrugia, 24, a researcher specialising in the Maltese honey bee, an endemic subspecies, says the oriental hornet is wreaking havoc in the apiculture industry. He says that the population of the oriental hornet has "explod- ed", finding a readily-available supply of food in dense urban areas. "Climate change could be con- tributing to the increase of the hornet population but a key fac- tor in Malta is urbanisation and the organic waste available to these insects, which has served as an additional food source, ena- bling them to reproduce in bigger numbers," Farrugia says. Scientific evidence on the ori- ental hornet's spread is lacking. The general acceptance that ori- ental hornet populations have grown exponentially is based on circumstantial evidence provided by apiculturists, pest controllers and ordinary people. "We have a lack of scientific data on oriental hornet colonies – where they are, what size they are and what range do the insects cover," Farrugia says, adding this data is important to adopt the right solutions to keep this pred- ator in check. Farrugia forms part of the Coa- lition for the Conservation of the Maltese Bee, which has launched a petition to give strength to their plea for the authorities to inter- vene. The coalition recently wrote to the Environment and Resources Authority highlighting the plight of apiculturists in the face of the oriental hornet's population growth and requesting a concert- ed effort to counter this phenom- enon. In its response, ERA said the oriental hornet is part of the Mal- tese islands' indigenous biodiver- sity, highlighting its important function as a natural predator of organisms that can cause harm, such as grasshoppers. But while the authority recog- nised the importance of the ori- ental hornet in the Maltese eco- system it also acknowledged the need to control its populations in urban areas and commercial bee- keeping zones. "The ERA is willing to assist the responsible authorities in the control of pests that are posing a threat to health and safety, and apiculture," the authority replied. For Farrugia, the reply is an en- couraging start because it shows willingness to address the prob- lem. However, he says the next step has to be "tangible action". Farrugia says apiculturists wit- nessed a new phenomenon this summer with hornets attacking long-established bee colonies. "They normally attacked young bee colonies, where insects are still developing and the strength of numbers does not exist. But this summer, apiculturists saw hornets also attack established colonies, decimating bee popula- tions and causing bees to perma- nently flee the colony," he says. This is causing harm to the bee- keeping industry and the coali- tion is asking for intervention by the authorities to address apicul- turists' concerns. "In summer the problem is more evident because it is the period when the hornet is most active. But when the winter months set in, and the hornets are not around, I fear the issue will drop off the radar, only to return with more intensity next year," Farrugia says. The oriental hornet starts appearing at around May all through to October. It has an ag- gressive temperament and a very painful sting. Sting victims are urged to seek medical attention. An urticarial rash, facial swelling and difficulty in breathing, shortness of breath and wheezing can occur after a hornet attack. Some victims have also reported low blood pressure and a fast heartbeat. In urban areas, hornets can set up nests in crevices and ventila- tors with people urged to contact professional pest controllers to remove these nests. Farrugia says that better waste management by everyone in ur- ban areas will help reduce availa- ble food sources for hornets. A concerted national effort to control hornet populations is needed, he says, rather than a dis- parate effort by individuals. For apiculturists, pest control efforts cannot come too soon. Anyone wishing to sign the online petition calling for action to con- trol the oriental hornet's growth can do so at change.org and searching for the petition: Nitolbu azzjoni immedjata mill-entitajiet dwar il-problema tal-Bagħal taż-Żunżan. Bees caught in the jaws of death: the plight of apiculturists Apiculturists say hornets are starting to attack established colonies, decimating bee populations and causing bees to permanently flee the colony Oriental hornets are increasingly becoming a public health menace in urban areas but they are also wreaking havoc among honey bee colonies. Kurt Sansone reports