Oriental hornet nests: five on Mallorca, first on Menorca

Mallorca, in the Balearic Islands, has recorded five oriental hornet nests: officials find Menorca’s first in Maó on 4 October and remove it completely. The Balearic Islands’ Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and the Natural Environment says the removal aims to stop the invasive species spreading and forming new colonies. A woman first reported suspicious insects on 21 September through the citizen-science app InvasApp.

An app tip and tiny radio transmitters

Researchers at the University of the Balearic Islands confirmed the insects were oriental hornets and alerted the department. To locate the nest, the department says it used a tracking method new to the Balearic Islands: attaching small radio transmitters to bees. The method helped track workers back to a nest that might have been hard to find by conventional means.

Five nests found on Mallorca

Seven oriental hornet nests have been found across the Balearic Islands: one in 2025 and six in 2026. Mallorca accounts for five, starting with a nest in Esporles, Mallorca, in 2025. Another was found in Jesús, in the municipality of Santa Eulària des Riu on Ibiza; the Maó nest is the latest.

The Balearic government says the hornets could threaten beekeeping and pollinating insects. Workers catch insects, including honeybees. Anyone who spots a suspected hornet or nest should leave it untouched, report it to the Species Protection Service and provide photos if possible.

Topics: Nature & wildlife · Agriculture · Politics · Economy · Esporles

Source: Europa Press / Mallorca.com