At night, with a turntable ladder and special protective gear: this is how Fuengirola fire brigade dealt with an oriental wasp nest

The oriental hornet, not the Asian hornet (which is currently only known to be present in the northern part of Spain and is considered to be more aggressive), is an invasive species that is increasingly present on the Costa del Sol. It is easy to recognise because its size is more than double that of the common wasp. Its arrival in this area, like that of other invasive species, has forced the municipal protection services, mainly the fire brigade, to design protocols for action when they are aware that its presence may be causing a safety problem.

This is a situation that is becoming more and more frequent and can require a complex intervention, such as the one that was set up last Tuesday night in Fuengirola. The fire brigade had to go to Calle Chanquete, in Los Boliches, and use their turntable ladder to reach a flat on the fifth floor of an apartment block. There, in the smoke extractor outlet of the kitchen, there was an Oriental hornet nest, which was removed by the fire brigade. For this task they had to equip themselves with special personal protective equipment, which is frequently used by firefighters in the north of Spain to deal with the Asian hornet.

According to the Fuengirola fire brigade chief, Julián Bueno, the method of action they apply varies depending on where the nest is located, but it is always important to carry out this type of task either early in the morning or at night, when there is less foot traffic, to prevent the removal of the nest from causing stings to passers-by.

"We normally analyse the nest first. Sometimes the access is very easy or it is on the public road, so what we do is to cut off pedestrian access in that area while we work. If it is in a residential area, we ask the neighbours to close the windows for their protection. Other times the location is in a much more complicated place, like the one on Tuesday, and we need other means such as the turntable ladder," Bueno explained.

For the last two years, the Fuengirola fire brigade has had the most advanced personal protective equipment (PPE) available to protect itself against the new types of insects, those that are currently present and in anticipation of those that may come in the future. "We are the only municipality on the Costa del Sol that has them: they are the same ones that are being used in Galicia and for us they mean extra security."