More than 1.5 million bees have been burned alive during an arson attack on 28 hives in Xewkija which are owned by Melita Bees Ltd – bee exporters.

In a statement, the company said that the fires were started by placing used tyres under the hives causing damage amounting to €10,220.

However, the company said that if they add to this the lack of production for the next year, estimated at € 7,500 among bees for the fertilisation nucleus colony and honey, the total economic damage is around € 17,720.

This is not the first time that the company has lost bees in an arson attack, back in 2016 they lost 220 hives containing 250,000 bees. The hives were located between Gharb and Ghasri.

“By now everyone knows how important bees are for our survival – over 80% of the food we grow requires pollination by bees,” the company said.

It explained that thanks to Malta’s mild climate the company can supply queen bees to beekeepers who have lost their colonies in time to multiply the surviving ones and save the season.

Melita Bees stated that “abroad we are respected and appreciated, and Malta should be proud to host a company that helps many beekeepers to overcome difficult times. Instead, here in Malta, thanks to a disinformation campaign promoted by some jealous beekeepers, we are looked upon with hatred and suspicion.”

It argued that, “Maltese beekeepers have been importing bees for over 20 years to reconstitute the bee heritage lost in 1993 with the arrival of the varroa mite, but the responsibility for the `disappearance of the native Maltese bee (Apis Mellifera Ruttneri) is attributed to us.”

“We have repeatedly offered our collaboration (and our know-how) for the protection and reproduction of the Maltese bee, but we have been completely ignored,” the company said.

Melita Bees said, “we hope that the authorities will do the necessary to identify the perpetrator of the gesture and correctly inform the Maltese population about the importance of our work for Maltese, European and Canadian beekeeping in order to put an end to this climate of hatred towards our activities.”

It concluded by saying, “many Maltese beekeepers in this difficult year marked by almost non-existent harvests and heavy varroa infestation are turning to us to replace the lost colonies: how can we help them if our bees are burned?”

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