The real cost of doing nothing
Honey production loss in Galician apiaries attributed to Vespa velutina, per the Manual de gestión de Vespa velutina en los colmenares from the Agrupación Apícola de Galicia (2025)¹.
€561 / year is the average cost each Galician beekeeper spends fighting velutina, equivalent to 14–21 % of their production value (up to 57 % in Pontevedra)². Beekeeping costs have risen 10–20 % because of anti-velutina measures.
A 3-pack of Galutinas costs €49.97.
Covers a full season of selective defence for several hives. Against €561 a year on average in supplies, labour and chemicals, a Galutina station pays for itself the first time it keeps a colony alive.
¹ Manual de gestión de Vespa velutina en los colmenares, Agrupación Apícola de Galicia, 2025 (p. 15).
² García-Arias, Ferreira-Golpe & Vázquez-González, Economía Agraria y Recursos Naturales 24(2):147–165, USC, 2024.
Vespa velutina doesn't only threaten honey bees: it threatens Galician vineyards too. In late summer and early autumn — exactly when Albariño, Godello, Mencía and Treixadura ripen — the swarms puncture grape clusters to reach the sugar, trigger unwanted acetic fermentations and put the harvest at risk.
All five Galician DOs (Rías Baixas, Ribeiro, Ribeira Sacra, Valdeorras and Monterrei) sit entirely inside the territory colonised by velutina since 2012. Manual harvest workers also face sting risk during picking.
Selective traps for the vineyard too.
The same double-selection that protects bees lowers vineyard pressure without capturing pollinators. The calibrated entry excludes Vespa crabro and keeps honey bees out; only V. velutina queens are caught. We recommend deploying from March–April so the trap pulls active queens before they reach the late-summer foraging peak that overlaps the harvest window.
Compare
 |
DIY trap | Insecticide | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Selectivity | ✓ | — | ✗ |
| Reusable | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| No persistent chemicals | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
| Easy to assemble | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| Galician origin | ✓ | ✓ | — |
Our manifesto
The Galician answer to the velutina.
The Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) reached Galicia in 2012. Since then our hives — and our vineyards — have been at risk. Galutina is the Galician answer: Swiss engineering made in Galicia, designed to protect honey bees without harming the rest of the fauna and to lower the pressure on the harvest.
It isn't magic. It's engineering. And from now on, it's also ours.
For beekeepers, winegrowers and individual buyers we sell directly; cooperatives, wineries and public institutions can request a tailored institutional quote or place a wire-transfer wholesale order. Read more about the Galician brand behind Galutina.
See it in action
The Galutina trap at work.
Not magic
Swiss engineering, made in Galicia.
Calibrated entry (8.75 mm)
Sized for the average V. velutina queen. Keeps the European hornet (Vespa crabro, >9 mm) out and minimises accidental capture of other large insects.
Force-calibrated flap
The entry flap only opens under the weight of a V. velutina queen. Honey bees, lighter, cannot move it. A second axis of selection that complements the size cut-off.
Selective exit (6 mm)
Honey bees (Apis mellifera, ~5.5 mm) can leave with no trouble. Velutinas, with their larger body, stay caught.
In three steps
Mount, bait, hang.
1 · Mount
Thirty seconds. No tools. The three pieces screw together.
2 · Bait
Fill the collar with the recommended bait (protein in spring, sugar in autumn). Refill weekly during the active season.
3 · Hang
Sunny spot, 1.5–2 m above ground, 3–5 m from the hive. Never directly over it.
Why galutina
Three things that matter to us.
Selective by design
Double selection: an 8.75 mm calibrated entry and a force-calibrated flap that only admits V. velutina queens. A 6 mm exit lets honey bees leave without being caught.
Swiss engineering
Swiss engineering applied in Galicia: an 8.75 mm calibrated entry and a 6 mm selective exit. Every millimetre saves bees.
Run from Galicia
Brand, stock, support and invoicing from our home turf. We answer in Galician, Spanish and English.
Selective trap against the Vespa velutina
Swiss engineering, made and operated from Galicia. Designed to protect honey bees without harming the rest of the fauna.
Lasts several seasons.
Just protein / sugar bait.
6 mm exit for honey bees.
We reply within 48 h.
"The selective trap shows consistent results against Vespa velutina with a low accidental capture of bees and other non-target insects." Testimony from Galician beekeepers
The trap, in the field.
Photos from Galician apiaries and vineyards. We'll keep adding customer photos as they come in.
Frequently asked
How long does the trap last?
It's reusable. The structure lasts several seasons; only the bait is replaced.
How much bait do I need?
Weekly refills during the active season (March–October). A 50 ml bottle covers one trap for a season.
Does it catch honey bees?
No. Selection is double: the entry flap only opens under the weight of a V. velutina queen (honey bees, lighter, cannot move it), and the 6 mm selective exit lets any bee that does enter escape.
Where do I place the trap?
Sunny spot, 1.5–2 m above ground, 3–5 m from the hive. Never directly over the hive.
Does it work against the European hornet (Vespa crabro)?
The entry is calibrated to 8.75 mm for V. velutina queens. V. crabro (>9 mm) cannot enter — by intentional design.
Does it work in vineyards?
Yes. The same double selection — calibrated entry and 6 mm exit — works against the pressure velutina puts on vineyards in late summer and early autumn. Deploy from spring to reduce active queens before the harvest window.
Where does the product come from?
Galician brand with design, distribution, support and warranty from Galicia. We answer in Galician, Spanish and English.
Do you offer institutional or wholesale quotes?
Yes. Submit a request from /en/distributors/ and we'll reply within 48 working hours.
Shipping and returns?
Worldwide shipping: €20 flat or free over €50. Dispatch within 24 h. Free returns within 14 days.
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