The Asian wasp in Spain

Asian wasp nest

The Asian wasp, a non-native European insect brought from China, is causing enormous economic and environmental damage, including, in some cases, damage to human life. With regard to economic damage, the Asian wasp attacks the harvests of some fruit trees. However, the greatest economic damage is being suffered by beekeepers. These insects feed on the bees themselves and wipe out the entire hive, taking their honey as well, leaving the hives so weakened after an attack that they can no longer survive. Among the damage to human life is due to the stings of these wasps, which in some cases result in death.

Therefore, the arrival of these wasps is causing enormous damage and in the case of beekeeping it is being greatly affected.

Index:

  1. Asian Wasp Cycle and Nests
  2. What to do if you find an Asian wasp?
  3. How to eliminate an Asian wasp nest?
  4. The wasp arrives in Valencia
  5. Difference between Asian wasp and other wasps

Summary: The Asian wasp, an insect brought from Asia, is causing enormous damage to our environment and therefore to the rural economy. In addition, we will see how they replicate and what solutions there are for their control. Finally, we take the opportunity to offer a fantastic selection of Spanish honeys in our shop in Las Rozas de Madrid. The most common honeys such as rosemary, thyme and lavender to the rarer ones such as tajinaste and cardoon.

Other interesting articles: Types of bees in the world

1. The Asian wasp

The Asian wasp (vespa velutina) is an invasive species, originally from Southeast Asia, which entered the port of Bordeaux, France, in 2004. It has also conquered a large part of Europe, becoming established in France, Italy, the United Kingdom and northern Spain. The introduction of this exotic insect is causing major losses to beekeepers in these areas. Therefore, by eliminating the bees, enormous damage is caused to our native ecosystem and to beekeepers.

The Asian wasp, vespa velutina in its scientific name, originates from the Asian continent, as its name suggests. This wasp feeds its young with insects, such as butterflies, ants, aphids… and among the insects are honey bees. The bees there, unlike the European bees, have learned to defend themselves.

The way bees from the Asian continent defend themselves against Asian wasps is to attack them with a group of 30 to 40 bees. They then surround the bee completely in order to raise the wasp’s temperature until it kills it. This method also kills some bees, but these are sacrificed for the common good of the hive.

a) Mode of action

The Asian wasp is a new predator for European bees, and the latter are terrified. This wasp is larger than European bees, and a single Asian wasp is capable of capturing 25 to 60 bees a day. The Asian wasp kills bees quickly and with little effort, with a single jaw thrust. According to the Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications (Creaf) of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), the Asian wasp separates the bee’s body parts. The aim is to form a ball later and transfer it to the hive, where thousands of hungry larvae await their food. After the wasps have killed all the bees, they enter the hive and finish off the honey. The adults do not feed on the bees, but on honey.

This invasion of this exotic species is causing major damage to beekeepers in the north of Spain and year after year, the Asian wasp is advancing southwards. An example of this is the Basque Country, in the region of Pasaia Donibane, where it is estimated that this insect caused losses of 30% in their hives and not only losses of bees, but also of honey. Asian wasps also cause damage to agricultural products, such as flowers, fruit and vegetables.

b) What to do if you get stung?

The sting of the Asian wasp is not fatal unless the person has an allergy. Only a very few people die each year from their sting. However, its sting is more annoying and painful than the sting of a common wasp, as the sting of the Asian wasp is larger and releases more venom. This is due to the larger size of the Asian wasp.

The remedies to avoid the discomfort and pain of the sting are the same for both wasps.

2. Asian wasp cycle and nests

The Asian wasp is easily recognised by its mostly black or dark brown body, with few yellow or orange patterns.

Their nests are large, spherical or oval in shape, with a diameter of between 40 and 70 cm and a height of almost one metre. These nests are usually formed in the high treetops, making them difficult to spot, and less frequently in bushes. Although they can also be found in undisturbed areas protected from buildings.

Here is a video on Asian wasps

a) Life cycle:

Between the months of February and March, mated queen wasps emerge from hibernation, and this is usually spent in crevices. Once they emerge from this state, around April and May, the queen creates a new colony and begins to build a primary nest or embryo, where she will lay her eggs, from which the first twenty or so worker wasps will emerge.

From this moment on, between May and June, the new colony moves to another tree, usually to form a larger nest, called a secondary nest, although sometimes they stay in the same primary nest, reinforcing it. This nest is usually up to 70 cm in diameter and 90 cm in height. Between 1000 and 1500 new workers are born, and in late summer between 100 and 300 females and males also emerge.

From late August to October, the fertilised wasps, the future queens, disperse and the wasp that created this colony dies by the end of October and the colony is no longer active. Finally, around November and December, the worker wasps and males die and the future and new queens, alone or in small groups, hibernate in small crevices to reawaken in February and March.

b) Feeding:

The Asian wasp is a tremendously ferocious insect that feeds on nectar and ripe fruit as adults, but they capture honey bees and other insects to feed their young.

c) Defences:

The Iberian honey bee, Apis melifera iberica has not yet learned to defend itself against the Asian wasp. Other bee species, such as the Apis cerana bee in Asia, have developed a new technique to confront these wasps, which consists of numerous bees surrounding the Asian wasp, forming a ball. With this mechanism, the Asian wasp, being surrounded by numerous bees, rapidly increases its temperature, which kills it.

New techniques are currently being investigated to reduce its spread and eradicate it. However, nothing is being totally successful.

Different official organisations, such as the Malaga Designation of Origin, are giving different advice, such as the following: placing netting in the hives to prevent them from entering them, destroying their colonies once they have been located, reducing the entrance to the hives to prevent them from entering, placing tramspas, moving the hives to another place when they are attacked by the Asian wasp and leaving tall vegetation in front of the hive.

These Asian wasps are creating an environmental problem that is more serious than it seems, and not only affects honey production and the bees they capture. In addition to the bees it captures and devours, the rest of the hive is terrified and does not go out to forage, i.e. does not dare to go outside the hive to collect pollen and nectar.

As a result, the hive does not receive any food, thousands starve to death and the hive population declines. In addition, this terror of going out and eagerness to hide causes them to huddle inside the hive and be crushed to death.

3. Natural defence of the bees

However, the situation is starting to change, as Spanish bees are beginning to face the problem and defend themselves against these wasps, as can be seen in the following video published on yourtube by Cesar Galdo Paz.

In this video you can see how the bees fight the Asian wasps. Although Asian wasps continue to prey on bees returning to their hive.

According to a study by Creaf, the Asian wasp’s optimal host areas are humid and mild-temperature places. This is why it has settled so quickly in northern Spain, especially in Catalonia, the Basque Country and Galicia. In drier and more arid areas, its adaptation is much more complicated.

4. What to do if you find an Asian wasp nest?

If you find an Asian wasp nest, the first thing to do is to flee the area immediately, and once you are far away from them, call the police or civil guard to inform them of the location of the nest. They will take care of eliminating it.

In the case of knowing how to distinguish the Asian wasp with the naked eye. Therefore, if you find it in an area that is not yet colonised, report it quickly to the authorities.

5. How do I get rid of an Asian wasp nest?

First of all, if you are not authorised by a government administration, do not attempt to remove an Asian wasp nest. Mainly because you are putting your life at risk and secondly because you will not be able to completely remove and kill the nest. As a result, you will spread the nest and other nests will form.

The biggest problem with Asian wasp nests is finding them, as they are usually located in high treetops and are not easy to find. Asian wasps currently have few predators, so they are expanding rapidly. In addition, they build their nests quite quickly.

There are currently several methods for eliminating Asian wasp nests, which are as follows:

Burning the nests: this method is carried out when conditions permit, i.e. if the nest is not close to a population, if it is not in a fire risk area, the height of the nest ….. In this case, the specialist team sprays the nest with petrol and sets it alight until it is completely destroyed.

Other methods

We can also see on the internet some videos of how army teams kill them with flamethrowers.

  • Freezing the nests: this method consists of freezing the nest for several days until all of them are completely dead. One of the disadvantages of this method is that the nest must be moved to cold storage. The nest would have to be released from the tree, taking into account that sometimes the velutina nest is clinging to the trunk of the tree.
  • Exploding the nests; another method is to put dynamite in the nest and explode it. I don’t think this will solve the problem as many of them will remain alive and form a new nest.
  • Injecting poison: use of poisons to kill the whole nest, but this could be another partial solution.
  • Traps for Asian wasps: Beekeepers are making homemade pheromone traps themselves. In these traps the Asian wasps get in but cannot get out. However, trapping a few hundred Asian wasps will have little impact on the spread of this invasive species.
  • Native species: This would be the best option for controlling this invasive species. In this case, insectivorous bird species and other native animals can feed on them.
    Homemade methods: Although it is a homemade method, it is very effective. It consists of pouring a mixture of stout beer, cranberry juice and wine into plastic bottles, such as coca cola.

In France, their native birds are starting to get to know these wasps and are beginning to consume them as a food source. This would be the best way to control this pest. However, it will be slow until the native Spanish birds start using them as a food source. Already some bee-eaters are eating them.

Actual situation

Every year the dreaded Asian wasp is advancing and gaining ground. It is doing a lot of damage in the area of Galicia. The Asian wasp, together with varroa, insecticides and the lack of rain. Therefore, it is leaving the beekeeping sector in an increasingly difficult situation.

Here is another video of how to prepare the plastic bottle:

6. Arrival and advance of the wasp in Spain

France, with humidity and weather conditions similar to Southeast Asia, the Asian wasp quickly colonised its territory. In 2010, it was detected for the first time in Guipúzcoa. This invasive wasp has been invading the entire northern peninsular. First, it was found in the autonomous communities from Catalonia to Galicia. Later, in Castile and Leon, it reached the province of Burgos. Moreover, experts predict that within a decade the Asian wasp will colonise the rest of Spain.

According to a resident of Torrente, south of the city of Valencia, the Asian wasp (Vespa Velutina) has already arrived. He has already found it in his house, a villa in the Marxadella area of Valencia city. Exactly in June this year, a primary nest of these wasps was sighted.

The first wasps develop in the primary nest and then form a larger nest. The adult wasps feed on honey among other foods and capture bees to feed their young. More information on Asian wasps can be found at,

The Valencian Association of Asaja (AVA-Asaja) has been warning for some years about the arrival of the Asian wasp in the Valencian Community. This wasp could wreak havoc on thousands of hives in the region.

Clearly, the future settlement of Asian wasps throughout the agriculture and orchards of Valencia is going to be catastrophic. The reason is clear, without the bees it will not be possible to pollinate the fruit trees and vegetables found there.

a) Aragon

In Aragon in the year 2020 it is widespread in the most humid areas, especially in the north of this Autonomous Community. In the south of this Autonomous Community it seems that it is not spreading due to the very dry summer environment and winter frosts.

b) Galicia

In 2020, more than 18,000 queen wasps have been captured in Llanes thanks to the 800 traps that have been set up.

5. Differences between Asian wasps and other wasps

In the Madrid region, the Asian wasp has not yet arrived. It is also unclear whether it will ever settle in this region due to the continental climate, with hot, dry summers and cold winters. Nevertheless, the forestry corps carries out specific patrols to detect the beginning of their presence. To date in 2022, all sightings have been negative, and are due to confusion with other wasps.

In addition, here is a video highlighting the differences between the different wasps.

Video 4: Differences between wasps found in Madrid

In Madrid we can confuse the Asian wasp with the European hornet (Vespa crabro), the latter being slightly larger. We also have the mammoth wasp (Megascolia bidens), which is the largest wasp found in Europe and can reach 5 centimetres in length. Also, the colour pattern of both are different from the Asian wasp.

Source:

Beekeeping magazine, Vida Apícola: http://www.vidaapicola.com/
The newspaper La Información

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