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The surveillance zone for yellow-legged hornets has been extended to 11km across Auckland’s North Shore and beyond the harbour bridge.
The zone was at 5km around detection sites in Glenfield and Birkdale but has now been extended, based on the latest recommendations from an independent technical advisory group.
“This willprovide greater assurance that the hornet incursion is a single population contained to the local area and allow us to respond quickly if there has been any spread,” Mike Inglis, Biosecurity New Zealand commissioner north, said.
The increased surveillance begins now in time for an expected increase in foraging by worker hornets, Inglis said.
“This extended surveillance will involve working closely with more beekeepers,” he said – over 575 registered apiaries within the 11km zone.
“We will be placing traps near hives and providing information to beekeepers on how to monitor and what to look for.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry for Primary Industries said the response team was currently updating the surveillance zone and map, which should be available later today, and would extend beyond the harbour bridge.
A queen Asian yellow-legged hornet in the early stages of nest building.
Trapping and ground searches have expanded across the North Shore in recent weeks, with almost 650 traps in a 5km radius of detection sites.
More than 3500 properties have also been searched within 200m of confirmed finds.
Thirty-four queen hornets and 22 nests were successfully found and destroyed, which Inglis said shows the “surveillance is working well”.
Other responses to the hornets has been to use different trap designs and lures, such as making them sugar- or protein-based, alongside inspections of beehives close to detection sites and ground surveys in reserves and residential areas.
Electronic tracking gear was purchased and, with the help of UK experts, allows nests to be traced by attaching transmitters to foraging worker hornets.
Trap locations as of December 9, 2025 (yellow dots). All queen yellow-legged hornets have been found in Zone A (red circle) – a 1km buffer around detections. The surveillance area has now been extended beyond the yellow 5km zone. Photo / MPI
Inglis said Biosecurity New Zealand was expected to find more hornets because of the increased surveillance while also stressing the need for the public and beekeepers to remain vigilant.
“We’ve had more than 5610 public notifications so far. It’s been fantastic to see such enthusiasm. We are very keen for this to continue, as it helps us respond quickly to possible detections.”
Biosecurity NZ has asked people looking for hornets and nests to check common nesting areas such as roof eaves, sheltered entrances, wooden structures, carports, under wooden decks, sheds and outbuildings.
Sightings can be reported to report.mpi.govt.nz or by calling Biosecurity NZ’s exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 809 966.
