A pest presenting a major threat to Northland's fruit industry is thriving in Whangarei.
Northland Regional Council trapped 43 guava moths in Whangarei in August. Previous trapping had averaged four moths a month.
The guava moth arrived in the Far North in 1997 and has spread from Ahipara to as far south as Whangarei Heads.
Agriculture and Forestry Ministry records show the moth has affected the fruit of macadamia and feijoa trees, plum, peach, nashi pear and citrus fruit.
An official trapping programme in association with HortResearch Ltd and other regional councils to determine the distribution of the moth finished at the end of April.
However, the Northland regional council's biosecurity team was continuing to monitor traps in Whangarei and Kaipara districts to establish how fast the moth was spreading.
So far no moths have been found in the Kaipara district or south of Whangarei.
- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)
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