Oriental Hornet alarming growth a Mediterranean problem, minister says

The Agriculture Ministry is consulting experts in a bid to curb the Oriental Hornet’s populations increase and mitigate its impact on agriculture.

Agriculture minister Anton Refalo was replying to a parliamentary question by Nationalist MP Jerome Caruana Cilia.

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.

Refalo said the ministry is aware of the problem, and is following the situation closely. He said the ministry is in discussions with experts who have stated that the whole Mediterranean basin “from Greece to Morocco” is experiencing an “alarming increase” in wasp populations.

“We are in active discussions with these countries so that a solution to the problem can be found,” Refalo said. “In the coming months we will be issuing measures to curb the impact of these insects.”

He said the ministry is primarily focused on the insects’ impact on agriculture, any measure while be focused on mitigating the hornets’ effects on the sector.

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