Photo: Biosecurity NZ
Northland conservationist Brad Windust has slammed Biosecurity New Zealand's response to the arrival of yellow-legged hornets, calling it "hopelessly inadequate".
The former Far North beekeeper and pest trapper said he's sounding the alarm over what he describes as a lack of urgency shown by authorities over eradicating the pest.
Biosecurity New Zealand has so far found five yellow-legged hornets, including three queens, in and around the suburb of Glenfield on Auckland's North Shore.
Two of the queens were discovered in the early stages of building a nest, while the other was flying in the area.
Windust said he was shocked by the slow reaction from the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI), considering the hornets hunt honeybees, which could impact several sectors, not just the honey industry.
He said dozens of steps to eradicate the yellow-legged hornets were not being taken up.
"They are relying on the public and handing out pamphlets is just a joke," he said. "They need hundreds of people on the ground right now, searching for these hornets.
"They need to take it as seriously as the fruit fly operation, where aerial spraying was done.
"They need to train dogs to try and detect them. They need to bring in the Department of Conservation to help them, they need absolutely everything thrown at this.
"I was led to believe that there are bait stations that they can put out with protein baits to try and attract them, and kill the nests.
"When Varroa turned up in Auckland, they were contemplating whether to put out bait and grids for the bees that the bees would then take back to their colonies and kill the whole colony. They chose not to do that, which was a disaster for the beekeeping industry."
Windust said Biosecurity New Zealand only had one shot at getting the invasive hornet population eradicated this summer.
He estimated the hornet species population could now be in the hundreds, putting New Zealand's honeybees at risk - including our 27 native bees and other native insects.
The conservationist said having this hornet throughout the country could devastate the agriculture sector.
"Bees are a keystone species in our primary sector, pollinating avocados and kiwifruit, and just a myriad of other plants, including clover.
"Clover is really important for the farming sector, it puts nitrogen into the ground, it's a really important crop for the animals."
Windust also took aim at the government, saying staff cuts at MPI had made the situation even harder.
"Everyone knows, in war, the most important thing is your supply line.
"When you cut nearly 400 jobs in MPI, it's going to make a big, big impact, and the government needs to just admit that it was wrong, step up and fund them properly, and just throw everything at it that they can to eliminate these hornets, before next summer."
Windust said a similar incursion of an invasive insect was thwarted in recent years, after the discovery of insect-eating German Wasps on the Chatham Islands.
"Just before lockdown and COVID, a German wasp turned up in the Chatham Islands, and they threw everything at it and they eradicated it.
"They got rid of that wasp nest and stopped German wasps taking over the Chatham Islands, and stopped a huge ecological disaster. That's what's needed to happen with these hornets.
"We need the same urgency with these bee-eating hornets."
MPI responds to criticism
In response to Windust's criticism, MPI said the most effective method for surveillance was through public involvement.
And in a subsequent statement to RNZ, MPI also said no frontline Biosecurity New Zealand jobs were affected as part of overall staff reductions at the ministry.
They also pointed to the successful handling of two fruit fly incursions in Auckland this year.
Biosecurity New Zealand north commissioner Mike Inglis said there was staff on the ground in the Birkdale and Glenfield area on Auckland's North Shore, "providing residents with clear information about the hornet, including a leaflet drop to thousands of local households".
"To date, we've had an excellent response from the public to our media, social media and website material about the hornet, and what to look out for. We are quickly responding to all calls and reports made through our online reporting tool.
"The two nests that have been found were removed swiftly by biosecurity officers.
"We are visiting markets over the weekend to ensure information about identifying this hornet is widely distributed in areas where we found this hornet to date. We have engaged widely with local leaders who can spread awareness more widely."
Inglis said they had close contact with the honey industry, and provided beekeepers and others with key information.
He pushed back on suggestions from Windust that traps should be used for the hornets.
There were no specific traps available for the hornet, he said.
Inglis said they were also convening a technical advisory group of independent scientific experts with expertise in the biology, ecology, and management of social wasps. The TAG would look at the current situation and consider options for ongoing work regarding the hornet.
Inglis continued to encourage the public to notify Biosecurity New Zealand of any suspicious-looking insects or nests.
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