The agrarian organization COAG Cádiz has released this Friday the conclusions of its project "Prácticas de lucha sostenible contra el avispón oriental en la apicultura gaditana 2026", with which it has achieved "important advances" in the control of this invasive species, which poses an increasing threat to both beekeeping and the natural environment.
The presentation of the results was carried out at a technical day within the framework of the Feria de la Ganadería de Jerez de la Frontera. During the meeting, specialist Carlos del Pico emphasized the "pioneering at an international level" nature of this work, whose technical manager is Yolanda Gil, highlighting especially two key achievements: the capture of founding queens in spring and of drones in the month of October.
As he pointed out, these milestones open up "new possibilities" to act in critical phases of the oriental hornet's reproductive cycle and optimize its control, while also warning of the "extraordinary adaptation" of this species to areas with high insolation.
Del Pico explained that the oriental hornet has physiological traits that allow it to take advantage of solar radiation in a very efficient way, to the point that, figuratively speaking, it works as if it had "solar panels".
"In the country of the sun, the vespa orientalis is a monster," he stressed, warning of the high potential for this plague to spread throughout Andalusian territory.
The data obtained in the project reflect the magnitude of the problem. After analyzing 6,790 hives belonging to 97 apiaries located in 23 municipalities of the province, COAG has detected an average mortality rate of 29.17%, which represents an 8.49% increase compared with the figures recorded in 2025.
The areas with the highest incidence are located in the Campo de Gibraltar, La Janda and the Bay of Cádiz, with special impact in the municipalities of San Roque, Chiclana, Los Barrios, Vejer and Jimena.
The study also shows that the oriental hornet not only causes the direct death of the bees it captures, but that its continuous presence in front of the hives generates "a stress-related block" that prevents the bees from going out to collect nectar and pollen. This situation results in a progressive weakening of the colonies that, in the end, collapse due to malnutrition.
In areas subjected to more intense pressure, losses or very severe weakenings, higher than 50%, have been observed.
Advances in sustainable fighting
The project, funded by the Diputación de Cádiz, has made it possible to evaluate the effectiveness of different trapping systems and specific baits for each time of year, with captures of up to 300 wasps per trap being recorded during the periods of greatest presence of the species, as COAG has detailed.
Among the devices tested, BeeVital and Wasp Trap stood out, along with sugary attractants in spring and autumn and protein-type baits during the summer months.
The results obtained make it possible to move forward toward “more effective and selective” control methods, with the aim of minimizing the effects on other insects and promoting a struggle that is more respectful toward the ecosystem.
At Fegasur, the general secretary of COAG Cádiz, Miguel Pérez, who has taken part in the opening of the event, has emphasized the importance of maintaining research and reinforcing prevention measures “in the face of a plague that threatens the viability of numerous apiary holdings”.
Pérez has expressed his gratitude to the Diputación de Cádiz for its financial support, which has made the development of the project possible, as well as to the technical team led by Yolanda Gil and to the involvement of the beekeepers who have participated in the field work.
COAG Cádiz has stated its intention to continue this line of research, extend sustainable control techniques, and establish common monitoring protocols that help contain the spread of the oriental wasp and safeguard the future of beekeeping in the province.