Source: Radio New Zealand
Yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) have recently been sighted in the Auckland region. Biosecurity NZ
Aucklanders are being reminded to be watchful and report any sightings of yellow-legged hornets as efforts to eliminate the invasive pests ramp up.
Another yellow-legged hornet queen has been found on Auckland’s North Shore, as Biosecurity New Zealand escalates its attempts to eradicate the invasive insect.
To date, 27 queen hornets, seven workers and 17 nests have been successfully located and removed from the Glenfield and Birkdale areas, Biosecurity NZ said.
Biosecurity teams had so far searched more than 2100 properties and continued to search across the region.
The aggressive hornets are nearly twice the size of the common wasp, and can wipe out bee colonies.
Apiculture NZ chief executive Karin Koss told Morning Report Aucklanders need to be vigilant.
“I think the key thing is just to be really, really, watchful and keep an eye out for these hornets,” she said.
“They are bigger, they are relatively easy to identify, although they’re nests can be hard to find, and it’s really just important to take a photo and report as soon as you can.”
Koss said beekeepers were very worried about the threat of the hornets.
“It’s a very aggressive pest,” she said.
“They attack the foraging honey bee workers at the entrance, and essentially, this eventually stops the bees from collecting pollen and nectar.”
This increased the risk of starvation, Koss said.
She said beekeepers have seen colonies drop by 30 percent in places where the hornets have become established.
“They don’t have any natural defences against the hornet, so bees are really vulnerable to this pest,” Koss said.
Koss said the public had an important role to play also.
“I’ve been inundated with messages from the public, from schools, from local councils; ‘how can we help,’” she said.
Koss said the pressure against the hornet needed to stay on.
She wanted to see wider surveillance beyond the current zone. Biosecurity had earlier further expanded its surveillance and on-the-ground search operations across the North Shore.
“We know that these hornets can travel, including on transport like trucks and ferries, and so as well as doing the public campaign which is really important, and getting the message out to beekeepers, I think there’s certainly value in keeping talking to [officials] and understanding how we can extend that surveillance.”
Sightings could be reported:
- Online at report.mpi.govt.nz
- By calling Biosecurity New Zealand’s exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 80 99 66
- More information can be found here.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
