Biosecurity authorities are making an all-out attack on one of the last hideouts of the painted apple moth in their bid to finish off the Australian invader.
A scrub-clearing gang with heavy Machinery has begun clearing the moth's favoured plants from West Auckland's Waikumete Cemetery.
And scientists have releasedsterile male moths in the area to render nearby females infertile.
The cemetery infestation has stubbornly resisted the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry's $90 million aerial blitz of West Auckland.
The number of male moths being caught in more than 1000 female-baited traps around the affected area has dropped from around 700 a week this time last year to four last week.
But one or two males are still being caught each week at Waikumete.
MAF's painted apple moth operations manager Robert Isbister, says the area is "one of the crucial hotspots".
MAF is chopping, shredding and mulching over a 37ha area of the 108ha cemetery, targeting wattle trees and Spanish heath or erica.
HortResearch scientist John Charles said about 600 sterile male moths were released at the cemetery and at Hobsonville yesterday.
"The aim is to swamp the existing wild males with sterile males so the sterile males mate with the ever-reducing number of females," he said.
Female painted apple moths don't fly and mate only once but can produce up to 700 eggs.
If they mate with a sterile male, their offspring are infertile.
Mr Charles said eventually up to 2500 irradiated males would be released each week.
