Northern Portugal has witnessed a great progression of this species that has destroyed the hives of native bees.
The wasp velutiana is now considered a threatening pest by beekeepers in northern Portugal, because in a short space of time has wiped out dozens of hives that produce the honey that is consumed internally. Altogether only in the Minho region it exist 8,000 hives operating by more than 300 beekeepers. One activity that may be at risk given also that the municipality of Viana do Castelo which is considered "center spread" of the species in Portuguese territory, detected 28 nests, even in the city center of the capital of Minho. According to a study by Miguel Maia and Silva José Manuel Grosso, this species "was introduced in Europe, through a transport of vegetables from China and was landed at the port of Bordeaux (France) in 2004." From then there on won one third of French territory and has scatter in the Iberian Peninsula with enough efficiency to the point, which is considered by the Spanish authorities, particularly in the Basque Country, as a very serious problem that put in risk the sustainability of local honey production.
About this wasp little is known about its biology and predatory behavior, even in their natural habitat. In general, "these specimens hunt bees, among other invertebrates, is aiming to provide food protein for its spawn. Most wasps attack bees individually. The exception goes to the giant Vespa (Vespa mandarin) that attacks bees group and easily invades their hives". In other cases where the bees detect their presence, the workers stop going out of the hives and the whole swarm dies of hunger. One of the ways to control this exotic pest since their total elimination is an almost impossible task "is through the construction and use of traps, which are useful for monitoring and locating the nest wasps also for reducing predation. If there are many wasps in the apiary, traps should be placed to reduce predation pressure. The traps can be built with plastic bottles or purchased at specialty shops. There are several "bait" to attract the wasps. You must verify that the bait you put in your own apiaries for vespa velutina is the right one, because you can make the mistake of attracting other predators and open a space for the increased predation of this species. The time to change the bait depends on your "recipe". If its beef should be there every day, whether it is alcohol and sugar can be every week. But should be beekeepers to monitor in their apiaries what better time for replacement", concludes the document.
http://www.oapicultor.com/artigos/A%20Vespa%20Velutina%20em%20Portugal%20Continental%20e%20a%20Apicultura%20Nacional.pdf
