Advanced tracking technology from the Netherlands to trace hornets back to their nests is set to be introduced by Biosecurity New Zealand in the next phase of the eradication project.
More than half of the 30 queen hornets found by Biosecurity New Zealand on Auckland’s North Shore showed evidence of having a nest.
But the Ministry of Primary Industries will soon be able to turn the pests’ insatiable desire to build nests against them.
North commissioner Mike Inglis said high tech tracking technology from the Netherlands has arrived after advice from international and domestic experts.
In the latest update on Tuesday, 19 of the 30 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting while seven worker hornets were found in nests.
Inglis said the tracking strategy will focus on male worker hornets.
“What happens over the next sort of four to six weeks, if we’re starting to find males, we can put traps out which actually catches the male hornet.
“We then put this tracking technology on the hornet and what we can do is then follow it back to the nest. We then go to the nest and destroy it.
“It’s like a small tracking device with a small antenna on it, which can go onto the male hornet and again, we then trace that back at particular times of the day or night back to the nest.”
Inglis said the tracker had been extremely effective and successful in the United Kingdom.
He said the timing was also important, with the nest making behaviour of the hornets to change in the coming weeks.
Biosecurity NZ will also look to start using a bait poison called Vespex.
“The next stage will be this, as they start to develop the secondary nest, it will get slightly bigger and be found in higher trees.
“So it is important that we utilise this technology as well as part of that is putting out more protein traps and we will also use a product called Vespex in terms of protein bait.”
“That will also potentially, if the males pick that up, take it back to the nest, that will also destroy the inhabitants of the nest too.
“So it’s a mixed approach, we make sure that we’re belt and braces, so a bit of trapping, a bit of surveillance, the electronic sort of tagging of the hornets as well as doing the work that we’re doing all guided by that technical advisory group and scientific evidence.”
Spreading the message
Inglis said Biosecurity NZ has had an excellent response from the public, with nearly 4400 notifications received to date.
Tomorrow he will be speaking at a forum hosted by Tauranga Moana Biosecurity Capital (TMBC), bringing together national experts to discuss the ongoing yellow-legged hornet response.
Inglish said it was important to spread messaging not just within Auckland, but across the North Island.
“I’ve spent my time also in Northland speaking to Northland Council’s biosecurity team going into Tauranga.
“Just expanding that as we’ve been doing over the period. Again, we’ve been really pushing in terms of that message and out there. The website and the Facebook hits have been incredible.
“If you’ve got a photograph, then send it in to us and we’ll send our expert team. So it is important that we’re in this together, that members of the public, our beekeepers are all involved in terms of that active surveillance as we all together try and ensure that we eradicate this hornet.”
The Bay of Plenty group – which was launched in 2018 – aims at leading a co-ordinated community response to biosecurity risks and advocating for better biosecurity protections.
TMBC comms and event manager Natalie Rutene said the group played an important role in ensuring members and the wider community stayed informed about biosecurity risks like the yellow-legged hornet.
“As a neighbouring region to Auckland, we are closely following all information, guidance, and updates released by MPI regarding the yellow-legged hornet, and we continue to share relevant advice to support a coordinated, informed response.
“TMBC will host an online Partners Forum focused on this issue, providing an overview of the current operational response, discussion of potential impacts on apiculture, horticulture, communities, and wider industries, and guidance on how individuals and organisations can support early detection and rapid reporting.
“Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask questions and hear directly from leading experts,” said Rutene.
rnz.co.nz
