“A serious concern that must be brought under control.”
According to Campbell Naish, marketing manager of UMFHA, the establishment of yellow-legged hornets is a serious issue for the apiculture industry.
He said that if they were to establish, the impact would depend on how far hornets are distributed across New Zealand. They have the potential to affect honey production, other bee products such as propolis, pollination services, and associated agricultural and horticultural industries.
In countries with established yellow-legged hornets, research showed they can cause a decline of up to 30 percent in bee numbers.
“Most of New Zealand’s agriculture and horticulture sectors rely on bees as part of their pollination strategies. Not only mānuka honey but dairy, meat, kiwifruit, wine, apples, avocados and many more export categories rely on bees,” said Naish.
“If the hornets were to become established again, depending on their range and the regions affected, the impact could be significant, as demand for hives for pollination already exceeds supply, with our leading agricultural and horticultural industries continuing to grow.”
Naish added that Biosecurity NZ has steadily scaled up its response as it has better understood the issue.
As of the 10th of November, in areas of concern, Biosecurity NZ initiated the following:
- 142 traps were laid in targeted areas where females have been found. Every trap is checked daily. No hornets have been found in traps to date.
- Enhanced on-the-ground surveillance in areas where queen hornets have been found involves visual inspection of common nesting sites, such as trees, roof eaves, fence lines, and other potential habitats.
- A trial will start soon using protein bait traps in addition to those already out.
- A Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of independent scientific experts with expertise in the biology, ecology, and management of social wasps. The TAG will consider options for ongoing work.
- Encouraged public surveillance and had people at local markets over the weekend alongside updates for industry groups.
“Public remains important. The best surveillance tool we have is for people to report any sightings of suspected hornets or hornet nests. This can be done online at report.mpi.govt.nz or by calling our exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 809 966.”
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