Northland biosecurity worker Brad Windust is challenging MPI's claims that traps don't work for yellow-legged hornets. Photos / Supplied
Biosecurity New Zealand has found a fourth yellow-legged hornet queen in Auckland and says it will begin using traps in its fight to eradicate the predator wasp species.
Three queens – the nest builders of the species – were discovered in October in the North Shore suburbs of Glenfield and neighbouring Birkdale, one actively building a nest.
MPI today said a fourth queen was found during the weekend - also in Glenfield and also in the early stages of nest construction.
Northland biosecurity worker Brad Windust has been vocal in the media, calling the Ministry for Primary Industries’ (MPI) response “hopelessly inadequate”.
He has twice written to Biosecurity NZ (BioNZ), urging it to recognise the severity of the threat posed by the bee-eating hornets to New Zealand’s primary industries.
Windust, a former beekeeper, also challenged MPI’s earlier claim that there were no suitable traps for the hornets.
The agency “clearly hasn’t done its research”, he said.
However, he agreed with MPI that the hornets were likely still contained within Auckland.
“The queens disperse from their colony at the end of summer, usually about a couple of kilometres, sometimes up to 10[km]. I think it would be unlikely they are out of the Auckland region. But they will be widespread in no time if MPI doesn’t get on to it this summer.”
Windust said MPI should have acted immediately after two male hornets were discovered in Grafton and Albany earlier this year. He criticised the agency’s initial response, which focused on public education and pamphlet distribution.
In one of his letters to MPI, Windust wrote: “There are multiple examples from overseas where people use traps baited with a sugary, beer syrup mix to catch emerging queens right as they come out of hibernation. Why were such traps not deployed throughout the region for this spring? You’ve had all winter to prepare as soon as the first males were found.”
He called for a grid of traps across the affected region, using sweet baits for queens and protein baits for workers.
“If any worker hornets are found, you’ll know there’s a nest nearby, and you can then send in teams to locate and eliminate it, and do targeted aerial spraying.”
Windust said the presence of hornets around beehives causes bees to stay inside and stop laying eggs.
“They become weaker and weaker and, eventually, their entire colonies collapse – a disaster for our horticulture and farming industries.
“In countries like France, these hornets have decimated bee populations, costing millions in agricultural losses, and wreaked havoc on entire ecosystems.”
He also pointed to the aggressive eradication effort in the United States, where hundreds of traps were deployed and nests destroyed.
“That’s the kind of response we need here – fast, co-ordinated, and backed by serious funding.”
Windust called on the Government to reverse cuts to MPI and properly fund the response.
“Millions must be allocated in emergency funding, immediately. This threat demands a far more serious response than the fruit fly incursion.”
BioNZ Commissioner North Mike Inglis said public response had been excellent, with more than 800 notifications since October 17.
“We believe it’s unlikely hornets are present outside the area we are currently targeting around Glenfield. However, we ask all Aucklanders to remain vigilant and report any suspected hornet or nest sightings.
“We are now deploying traps in the area. The placement of traps is being guided by public notifications.
“There is no specific trap for this hornet currently in New Zealand, so we are testing different options to see what works best. We believe sugar-based traps will be most effective at this stage.”
Inglis said anyone who suspects they’ve caught a yellow-legged hornet should take a clear photo and report it online at report.mpi.govt.nz/pest or call 0800 80 99 66.
He said BioNZ was unsure how the hornets arrived in New Zealand, but the species is known to be a hitchhiker pest. It originates from Southeast Asia and has spread to Europe and the United States.
Windust and others have shared DIY trap recipes online, one in which 1kg brown sugar is fermented with 1 litre water, 1 teaspoon of baker’s yeast, and two drops of dish soap. The brew is poured into modified milk bottles with entry holes and placed in sunny spots away from beehives
Gardener Joel Campbell offers a faster alternative: 1 cup of brown sugar, 1 cup of apple cider or malt vinegar, 2 cups of water, and 2 drops of dish soap. Campbell claims the vinegar and fermentation smells attract hornets but not bees, while the soap causes hornets to drown.
Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.