At a time when practically the entire Cantabrian coast can already assure that it knows what it means to face one of the greatest threats to Spanish agriculture, after more than a decade of fighting against the Asian wasp (Vespa velutina), and that this invasive species colonized new parts of the country, beekeepers in Portugal have raised another alarm. Also, unfortunately, known in the north of Spain.
As already happened at the beginning of the 2010s with the velutinas, the appearance of a new insect with great destructive potential was identified in the north, this time specifically, in a trap installed in the parish of Granda, in the council of Siero. It was the first time that it was Wasp’s sister was located in Europe, according to . The wasp or, rather, Thai or Vietnamese hornet.
There were only a few specimens, but compared to the first wasps arriving from the Asian giant, they do not represent an additional problem. They are a problem of another magnitude. They are more aggressive than veloutines and they also devour other insects, mainly bees, but even small vertebrates, such as lizards. Obviously, they represent a threat to the beekeeping sector, but beyond losing honey, they threaten the pollination process itself and agriculture in general.
Alert in Portugal
Its venom is also more powerful and can cause greater complications in the human body – the wasps are not lethal, but accidental attacks in clearing have claimed the lives of several people in rural Spain. This is stated in the of researchers from the University of Oviedo.
This invasive insect is easily identifiable in Europe – be very careful before attacking or trying to get rid of wasps without being clear because it could damage native species at risk, such as -, as it has differential factors with black, light brown and yellow areas. distributed in alternating blocks.
With the experience of inaction on the peninsula – in reality, lack of rapid and continuous action over time because there was a response from the beekeeping sector, individuals and administrations – which has translated into the impossibility of stopping the advance of the Vespa velutinafear has already caught on on the other side of the border, in Portugal, they report. It should be noted that the Asian wasp arrived in Bordeaux (France) in 2004 and in 2011 it was already in the Alto Minhoin Portugal.
“Its bite is very painful and produces long-lasting effects”
“It can cause problems in the health sector, since its bite is very painful and produces long-lasting effects, probably because it has a powerful poison,” explains the president of APIMIL, Alberto Dias, in statements to Lusa. Dias recalled that there is no record of the presence of the wasp in Portugal, but he warned of “the proximity” of Alto Miño to Galicia and that “red lights must be turned on and alarms sounded.”
“[En 2004] “They ridiculed us and called us alarmists”
From APIMIL they remember what happened in the past when they detected the velutina in Viana do Castelo: “They ridiculed us and called us alarmists.” And he emphasizes: “Portugal must have a different attitude towards Wasp’s sister that towards the Vvelutina espa. All entities are aware of the situation and know perfectly well the problem in question.” In his opinion, “it is necessary to plan and implement concrete and well-targeted actions, based on the lessons learned.”
