Source: Radio New Zealand
Yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) have recently been sighted in the Auckland region. Biosecurity NZ
Biosecurity New Zealand says they’ve uncovered more queen yellow-legged hornets in Auckland’s North Shore, with the tally reaching 26.
The agency said 16 of the 26 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting, while seven worker hornets have been found in nests.
The queen hornets and nests were found the Glenfield and Birkdale areas of Auckland’s North Shore.
In their last update on 16 November, 10 queen hornets, 2 workers, and 7 nests had been removed.
The agency said they continue to urge Aucklanders to keep a watch for the invasive pest. They said they’ve received nearly 4000 notifications to date.
Biosecurity NZ said they’ve also extended trapping to 5km out from where hornet discoveries have been previously made.
A map of the hornet trap location. Supplied
They said a combination of carbohydrate and protein traps continue to be used, while they’re also looking to deploy advanced tracking technology from the Netherlands to trace hornets back to their nests.
The Ministry of Primary Industries said their Technical Advisory Group (TAG) comprises independent scientific experts from countries that have successfully managed hornet incursions.
MPI said the advisory group continues to support the response ot the invasive pest, with their recommendations shaping Biosecurity NZ’s strategy.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
