Yellow-legged hornet (far left) compared to species established in New Zealand: (from left to right) German wasp (Vespula germanica), Asian paper wasp (Polistes chinensis) and Australian paper wasp (Polistes humilis). Photo / Biosecurity New Zealand
Yellow-legged hornet (far left) compared to species established in New Zealand: (from left to right) German wasp (Vespula germanica), Asian paper wasp (Polistes chinensis) and Australian paper wasp (Polistes humilis). Photo / Biosecurity New Zealand
Advanced radio tracking technology is successfully hunting yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) and their nests in Auckland, boosting the fight against the insect pest, says Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north Mike Inglis.
Inglis said the small radio trackers imported from the Netherlands had successfully helped find Queens, hundreds of workers andthree hornet nests to date.
“The trackers are becoming a very important tool in our eradication operation, and we continue to deploy them,” he said.
Inglis said Biosecurity New Zealand’s on-the-ground team lured worker hornets to a feeding station and observed their movements to help estimate nest proximity.
“Tiny transmitters weighing less than 160mg are then attached to the workers, and we’ve been able to track their flight path back to the nests using signals from the transmitter to a radio receiver.”
Thermal drones had also been used to pinpoint nest locations and to assess the population inside.
“That ensures we have the best plans in place to safely destroy and remove those nests and hornet populations,” Inglis said.
“This tracker technology is expected to be especially useful as summer progresses and hornets are likely to build larger secondary nests up in trees where they’re less visible to ground searchers.”
Inglis said public interest and reporting remained strong, with more than 9700 notifications received so far.
“We have had a fantastic response from across the country and, importantly, from the local community where these hornets have been found.
“Our teams on the ground have engaged with schools and community groups, and there are families making traps and putting them in their backyards.”
Inglis said the recent use of the tracking devices, along with public involvement, had resulted in the discovery of 43 queen hornets and 30 of these were found with nests.
He said Biosecurity NZ was focused on locating and destroying queens to stop them from producing a new generation of hornets.
“At the end of autumn, workers die [approximately 600 have been found to date, mostly in nests, and destroyed], but any remaining mated queens can hide over winter and emerge the following spring to build nests and raise their young.
“It’s important to note that all detections have been confined to the Glenfield and Birkdale areas.”
Trap locations as of January 16, 2026 (yellow dots). All queen yellow-legged hornets have been found in Zone A (red circle) – a 1km buffer around detections. Photo / MPI
The use of trackers is one part of an intensive eradication operation that includes:
965 traps are currently in an area out to 11km from detection locations;
Ongoing daily ground surveillance across the North Shore, with over 8300 visits to individual properties;
A public awareness campaign running throughout the summer;
Guidance from international experts, primary sector groups and advising the response alongside our own scientists.
Two specialists from the United Kingdom with experience managing yellow-legged hornets are currently in New Zealand, observing the response operation and sharing their expertise, including their use of the tracking technology.
Biosecurity New Zealand encourages anyone who has a suspected hornet specimen, has located a possible nest or has taken a clear photo to report it:
