AN INVASION of oriental hornets is threatening bee hives and honey production in Malaga province.
There are over 30,000 hives in the area and the hornets pose a serious threat to the natural ecosystem.
The plague is reducing the production of honey in several Guadalhorce Valley municipalities such as Coin, Alhaurin or Alora, as well as affecting hives from the Genal Valley to the coast around Estepona.
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HORNET THREAT(Pixabay image)
Beekeeping head of the farmers and growers union Coag, Antonio Vazquez, said: “Hornets ends up killing an entire hive and many farms may not be able to deal with the reductions come the autumn and winter.”
The hornets kill bees in the summer when they are looking for proteins to sustain themselves.
“They hunt all kinds of insects so it also leaves birds without food,” Vazquez continued.
“It is a predator of all insects that stand in its way and numbers grow without control,” he added.
The hornets bring another headache at a time when beekeepers have had to deal with cuts in honey production caused by the drought.
They are a species that enjoys the high temperatures of southern Andalucia with Vazquez saying that numbers grow ‘uncontrollably’ and have had a presence for three years.
Sightings in recent months were concentrated in urban areas but have spread to the countryside with a serious consequence on hives.
Antonio Vazquez, who has hives on his Alora farm said: “This year it is unsustainable.”
He criticised authorities for not bringing in property monitoring from the start of the year through traps.
The Coag association has demanded another meeting with the Junta de Andalucía to address the issue including measures to locate and destroy hornet nests.