Last Updated September 15, 2026
On a Mediterranean island better known for beaches than entomology, a small research group just pulled off something no one else in Europe had managed: eradicating an established population of invasive Asian hornets. The Bee-etal Lab, based at the University of the Balearic Islands and led by María del Mar Leza Salord, cleared Vespa velutina — the yellow-legged hornet, a serious predator of honeybees — from the island of Mallorca, and the achievement earned the team Slovenia’s 2026 Golden Bee Award, presented on World Bee Day, May 20, 2026, by President Nataša Pirc Musar.
Key Takeaways
- Spain’s Bee-etal Lab (University of the Balearic Islands) achieved the first documented eradication of an established Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) population anywhere in Europe, on the island of Mallorca.
- The team won Slovenia’s 2026 Golden Bee Award — a golden sculpture, a title, and €28,000 for further research — beating out 13 proposals from 10 countries.
- Their method combined ecological modeling, genetic population analysis, and direct coordination with local farmers and public services, not a single trapping or pesticide technique.
- The yellow-legged hornet remains established across much of mainland Europe and has had isolated incursions in parts of the U.S., so an island eradication is a proof of concept, not a solved problem elsewhere.
- The award was presented at the Third International Forum for Action on Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination in Maribor, Slovenia, co-organized with the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
A Predator This Site Has Already Flagged as Spreading
The yellow-legged hornet is not a hypothetical threat. This site’s own coverage of the species notes it as actually spreading in the US right now, and in Europe it’s been established and expanding for years, preying on honeybees at hive entrances in a way that can measurably weaken or collapse colonies under sustained pressure. Once a population establishes itself on an island or in a region, eradication is generally considered extremely difficult — nests are often high in trees or otherwise hard to locate, and a single missed queen can restart the whole population the following season.
That’s what makes Mallorca notable: according to the Slovenian government’s own announcement of the award, the Bee-etal Lab’s project is the first successful eradication of an established Asian hornet population anywhere in Europe, not merely a suppression or containment effort.
An Interdisciplinary Approach, Not a Single Trick
The award citation credits the team’s approach specifically for combining multiple disciplines rather than relying on one method — ecological modeling to predict nest locations and population spread, genetic analysis to track the hornet population’s structure, and direct collaboration with local farmers and public services to coordinate the physical removal effort.
“Bee-etal Lab demonstrates how interdisciplinary approaches — ranging from ecological modelling to genetic analysis — can serve as a flexible model for pollinator conservation across Europe and around the world.”
Lead researcher María del Mar Leza Salord, accepting the award alongside colleague Dr. Cayetano Herrera López, emphasized that the result came from collaboration, not a lab working in isolation:
“Bees work silently, carrying out a great deal of unseen work. They not only carry pollen, but also the very life of our planet.”
The Golden Bee Award, presented annually on World Bee Day, drew 13 proposals from ten countries in 2026 — Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Egypt, and Togo — a reminder that Mallorca’s project won out against a genuinely international field of pollinator-conservation work, not a small local competition. The prize itself, presented at the Third International Forum for Action on Sustainable Beekeeping and Pollination in Maribor, Slovenia, on May 20–21, 2026 — co-organized with the UN Food and Agriculture Organization — consists of a Golden Bee sculpture designed by Slovenian artist Urh Wiegele, an official title, and €28,000 directed toward further research. Wiegele has described the sculpture’s infinite-loop shape as a deliberate reference to bees’ role in an interconnected natural system: “Nature is a system of inseparable connections, with neither a beginning nor an end. Everything is connected. Everything depends on everything else.”
Why a Regional Success Story Matters Beyond Mallorca
An island eradication doesn’t automatically translate to mainland Europe or the U.S., where the hornet’s range is far larger and reintroduction pressure from neighboring, uneradicated populations is a constant risk an island doesn’t face in the same way. But a documented, successful method — one that combined modeling, genetics, and community coordination rather than pesticide-based bulk trapping alone — gives regions currently fighting an active, expanding population, including parts of the U.S. tracking their own early incursions, a genuine template to study rather than starting from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Golden Bee Award?
An international prize presented annually on World Bee Day by the government of Slovenia, recognizing achievements in bee and pollinator conservation. 2026 was the sixth year it was awarded.
Has the yellow-legged hornet been eradicated from all of Europe?
No — only from the island of Mallorca. The species remains established and expanding in much of mainland Europe and has had isolated incursions in parts of the United States.
Why is eradicating this hornet so difficult in most places?
Nests are often built high in trees and hard to locate, and even one surviving queen can re-establish a population the following season, which is why most regions manage the species rather than eliminate it outright.
What did the Bee-etal Lab actually win?
A Golden Bee sculpture designed by artist Urh Wiegele, an official title, and €28,000 earmarked for further invasive-species research, presented by Slovenia’s president at a World Bee Day forum in Maribor.
Who else was nominated for the 2026 Golden Bee Award?
The award committee received 13 proposals from ten countries: Croatia, Serbia, Italy, Germany, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Egypt, and Togo.
