Catalan beekeeping organizations have warned of a sharp increase in the Asian hornet population ahead of next autumn and have asked the Generalitat de Catalunya for immediate intervention to curb its expansion. Unió de Pagesos, the Associació d'Apicultors de Barcelona, Apicultors Gironins, and the Associació Catalana d'Apicultors place the risk on beehives, other pollinating insects, and also on areas frequented by the public.
The warning comes with a figure that concentrates the tension of the conflict. The entities maintain that honey production could fall by up to 65% if the Government does not act urgently, even though the sector had already requested measures months ago and denounces delays in the administrative response.
Entities predict that October will increase pressure on beehives
During the month of October, the activity of the Asian hornet will increase significantly, according to organizations in the sector. This autumn surge will increase pressure on honeybees and other wild pollinating insects.
The impact is not limited to honey production. The presence of this invasive species affects crop pollination and, therefore, agricultural production linked to this function of bees.
Furthermore, the expansion of the Asian hornet adds a problem in highly frequented areas. Organizations warn that it builds nests in urban environments, industrial estates, and areas near rivers and watercourses.
Unió de Pagesos blames the administration for the delay in the emergency plan
Unió de Pagesos has called on the Departament de Territori for immediate action to strengthen surveillance, detection, and nest removal before the peak autumn activity arrives. The union focuses its request on acting before October multiplies the presence of specimens.
The complaint includes waste management, as the abundance of sugars and proteins in garbage containers and accumulation points favors the expansion of the species. In this scenario, the removal of nests before autumn and the reinforcement of surveillance appear as the two measures that the sector considers most urgent.
The union maintains that the administration has been too late. As early as last November, it had demanded measures after a meeting with officials from the Departments of Territori and Agriculture.
Two months ago, beekeeping organizations also denounced the delay in the implementation of the shock plan that the Government had committed to.