Yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) have recently been sighted in the Auckland region. MPI have put out advisories after a queen was found on 17 October 2025. Photo: Biosecurity NZ
Biosecurity New Zealand has removed another yellow legged hornet and its nest in the past week.
The queen hornet was found in the Auckland suburb of Glenfield.
It takes the tally to seven including five queens and two males.
Authorities say another queen and two males are also suspected, but not confirmed, based on photographs provided by members of the public.
In response, Biosecurity New Zealand has increased the amount of traps on Auckland's North Shore from 120 to 142.
North Commissioner Mike Inglis said these traps would trial protein-based baits over the summer months when hornet activity was expected to rise.
"We've got people on the ground as well as checking traps, they spend about an hour at each trap property doing a bit more detection and surveillance.
"As we go through the process to continue to focus on that Glenfield area, and then as we move through the next steps of the plan, potentially putting protein baits out over the next week or so."
Inglis said the queen would be building the nest before seeking carbohydrate and food to keep her energy levels up.
"That's why it's a carbohydrate-based trap at the moment. If she then lays the eggs within the nest and then we start to see worker bees, males coming, it's at that point that they will be attracted to the protein-based traps.
"We'll start to trial these traps alongside the carbohydrate trap over the next week or so."
Inglis said every trap was checked daily but no hornets have been found in traps to date.
He said there would be enhanced on the ground surveillance in the areas where the queen hornets have been found that involves visual inspection of common nesting areas such as trees, roof eaves, fence lines, and other potential habitats.
The Ministry for Primary Industries has also assembled an advisory group of independent scientific experts with expertise in the biology, ecology, and management of social wasps.
Inglis said their advice remains to focus on Glenfield and community engagement.
"We've brought on board a number of both international and national experts, Victoria University, Auckland University.
"We have an individual that's based in New Zealand that dealt with the hornet outbreak in France ... we've got people from the UK on that as well, as well as our own specialist.
"That just allows us to look at the next stages, surveillance plan, international best practice, how we're doing here conditionally. Obviously, I engage with them regularly in terms of making sure our plan is still correct.
"Our intent is to eradicate the hornet from New Zealand through that coordinated surveillance, nest destruction and community engagement but as we move into potentially the next stage, that technical advice, both in terms of potentially other tools that we could use, other technologies, and then we'll continue to keep on top of it."
Biosecurity NZ continues to encourage public surveillance, with Inglis saying they have had more than 2500 notifications.
"It's probably averaging about 150 notifications a day.
"So we've got to continue to do that. I've now got over 100 staff on this response, making sure we're out and about.
"The phase that we're in at the moment is still science-based, technical-based and then what we'll do is look to the future. I'm really keen to make sure that I'm looking two, three, four weeks ahead."
However, Inglis said he was aware of people taking previously published photos of the hornet and posting them on social media with claims it is a new discovery.
But he said they were a minority and the response from the vast majority of people had been extremely helpful.
Reports can be made at report.mpi.govt.nz or through Biosecurity New Zealand's exotic pest and disease hotline: 0800 809 966.
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