“Extraordinary increase” in Asian wasps leaves three dead in less than 15 days in Galicia

“There are thousands of nests, more and more” in the region that leads Spain in insect bites, right “on the doorstep” of Portugal. The recent deaths are “just the tip of the iceberg”, warns a veterinarian specializing in the invasive species.

In less than two weeks, three men lost their lives in the Galicia region after attacks by Asian wasps, with authorities recognizing an “extraordinary increase” of the insect, due to its “enormous adaptability to the climate and territory”.

The latest fatal case occurred on Sunday, in Cospeito, Lugo, where a 55-year-old hunter reportedly stepped on a swarm. The two previous cases involved men working on agricultural land who were surprised by underground nests of the invasive species.

Between June and September is the critical period for the proliferation of the Asian hornet, but we are in October and “there are thousands of nests, more and more”and many are not removed, reports a veterinarian specializing in the species and its health incidence to the newspaper .

The fight against the Asian hornet has been going on for 15 years in Galician territory. The local government remains optimistic, and argues that the shock plan implemented in 2024 is yielding results: this year around 230,000 queens were captured, double the number recorded in 2024, through the placement of 18,500 traps distributed throughout the municipalities. Swarm warning calls decreased by 30%. The council guarantees that the removal of nests for people with allergies is carried out urgently.

In 2025, Galicia removed around 16,400 swarms, almost the same number as the entire previous year (18,700), but there are reports that many remain on the ground.

The veterinarian who spoke to the Spanish newspaper criticizes the management of the crisis and points to a “lack of interest” on the part of the administration, which is unable to deal with all the nests detected, especially the underground ones, which are invisible and particularly dangerous. Experts have found nests in trees, dense vegetation, buildings and even inside furniture, but underground nests represent an increased risk for those who clear land or carry out activities in nature.

The current approach, based on spring traps, does not solve the problem and could affect other species, experts warn. And known deaths, warns the veterinarian, are “just the tip of the iceberg”, remembering that many non-fatal bites require medical intervention, but are not statistically recorded.

A Galicia leads Spain in deaths from insect biteswith an annual incidence of 2.2 per million inhabitants, well above the national average of 0.08. The lack of records broken down by species makes it difficult to implement more effective measures.

Marita Puga, president of the Galician Beekeeping Association, highlights that The Asian hornet problem is already a public health issue.