In-naħla Maltija

The Maltese honey bee (In-naħla Maltija, Apis mellifera ruttneri) is Malta's national insect. Honey bees live across Europe, Africa and the Middle East, but this subspecies is found only in the Maltese islands. Cut off from other bees for thousands of years, it adapted to hot, dry summers, mild winters and the islands' wild flowers.

Why saving it matters

It is part of Malta's natural heritage. The Maltese honey bee is protected by law (S.L. 549.120), and once its local traits are lost they cannot be bred back.

It pollinates wild flowers, garigue plants and crops, and it makes Maltese honey, including the prized thyme (sagħtar) honey. Malta's ancient name, Melite, is often linked to the Greek word for honey.

Its local adaptations matter more as summers get hotter. A bee already suited to Maltese heat and drought is the best basis for sustainable beekeeping in a changing climate.

The main threats

Mixing with imported bees. Foreign honey bee breeds and queens brought into Malta mate freely with local bees. Over time this hybridisation dilutes the Maltese bee's distinct traits, a slow, indirect route to extinction. The Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee campaigns against importing foreign bees.

The Oriental hornet (Vespa orientalis, il-bagħal taż-żunżan). Hornets hunt bees at the hive entrance and put colonies under so much stress that bees may abandon their hives.

Invasive bees and disease. In 2024 a colony of the red dwarf honey bee (Apis florea), an Asian species, was found near the Birżebbuġa Freeport, the first record in Europe. It was destroyed, but more could arrive with imports and bring new diseases. The varroa mite remains a constant problem for beekeepers.

Loss of wild flowers. Clearing roadside and field-edge vegetation and spraying herbicides removes the flowers bees feed on.

Bee or hornet? Identify first

The Maltese honey bee is small and dark, with a dark brown or black face, a mostly dark body with faint bands, and short legs often loaded with pollen.

The Oriental hornet is much bigger, with a yellowish face, a reddish-brown body with bold yellow bands, and long legs.

A cluster of bees in an unexpected place may be a colony that fled hornets. It is not a hornet nest. Never spray or destroy insects until you are sure what they are. Keep your distance, take a photo or video if it is safe, and ask a beekeeper or the Foundation for advice.

Dealing with Oriental hornets

Nest removal: the Foundation has partnered with a professional pest controller for safe hornet nest removal anywhere in Malta and Gozo. Request it through the form on maltesehoneybee.org. It is a paid service, and part of each fee supports the Foundation.

Hornet traps: the Foundation sells purpose-built hornet trap cages for gardens, roofs and balconies (2026 price: €40 for members, €45 for others).

Learn more: the Foundation runs workshops on recognising and managing Oriental hornets.

How you can help

Leave wild flowers along rural paths and field edges, and plant thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano. Avoid pesticides and weedkillers.

Buy local honey from beekeepers who keep Maltese bees.

Never import or buy foreign bees or queens.

Support the Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee: become a supporter (€10 a year), volunteer, or, if you keep bees, join its database of Maltese bee keepers.

Report anything unusual straight away, such as very small reddish bees building a single open comb on a branch, to the Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) and the Foundation.

Source: Foundation for the Conservation of the Maltese Honey Bee, maltesehoneybee.org.