Source: Radio New Zealand
Yellow-legged hornets are an invasive species, and a danger to local honey and wild bees. Biosecurity NZ
Several more predator yellow-legged hornets have been found in Auckland, including two queens.
A further two nests have been located – one the size of a cricket ball and the other the size of a golf ball.
One of them had a queen, two worker hornets and two adults about to emerge, while the other was less developed and contained only a single queen.
Both nests, found in Glenfield about 100m apart in the same area as earlier finds, were spotted during intensifying search efforts.
Yellow-legged hornets are an invasive species, and a danger to local honey and wild bees.
The number of confirmed queen hornets found rises to nine.
The Ministry for Primary Industries said it was stepping up the number of people on the ground.
“This week, we introduced additional teams to methodically check common nesting areas close to where hornets have been detected in Glenfield and Birkdale,” Biosecurity New Zealand north commissioner Mike Inglis said.
“We are stepping up our numbers on the ground to widen the search as required, and have more than 20 focused on enhanced searches and more than 100 staff across MPI involved in this response.”
Traps were being checked each day, but as of Friday, no hornets have been found in them.
MPI said its response included:
- Setting more than 180 traps in targeted areas where females have been found. Every trap is checked daily. No hornets have been found in traps to date. Additional traps are being added in areas where queen hornets are found, so the number of traps will continue to increase.
- Introducing protein bait traps alongside existing traps.
- Establishing a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of independent scientific experts with expertise in the biology, ecology, and management of social wasps. The TAG has been considering options for ongoing work.
- Encouraging public surveillance, including sending staff into the community to raise awareness. This weekend, staff will again be at local markets to share information about the hornet.
- The public are begin urged to report suspected hornets or nests but only if they have a specimen, or a clear photo, or have spotted a possible nest.
How to make a report
- By going to report.mpi.govt.nz
- By calling Biosecurity New Zealand’s exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 809 966.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand