Attempts to eradicate the yellow-legged hornet from north Auckland are looking promising.
Back in November, the discovery of a yellow-legged hornet (Vespa Velutina) in Auckland’s North Shore triggered a costly biosecurity response. The hornet, native to Asia, presented a threat to honeybees and therefore agriculture, as well as a human health concern. Encouraging signs indicate the eradication effort to remove the invasive hornet has worked.
As of May 25, 77 queen hornets and 132 nests had been located and destroyed. Biosecurity New Zealand believes the contributions made by members of the public, in reporting potential sightings and nests, has been a significant part of the success of the program. So far more than 17,500 notifications of suspected sightings have been recorded.
The hornets are believed to have got no further than six kilometres from the location of the very first discovery. All the hornets found can be traced genetically back to the same source, so it is believed that they came from just a single nest.
A significant part of the eradication effort has involved the use of radio tracking technology and AI cameras to detect the yellow-legged hornets’ movements. Sugar-based lures have been used to attract hornets, which have then been tracked back to their nests. Later, in March, the Ministry for Primary Industries began using Vespex in bait stations. The blue-coloured bait is protein-based and is designed to attract only hornets, not honeybees or native New Zealand wasps.
The good news is that, despite autumn being the time when nests release new queens, no new hornet queens have been found for some time – the first indication of a successful operation.
Phil Lester, professor of entomology and ecology at Victoria University, said there was “cautious hope and optimism” that the hornet had been eradicated.
