Auckland’s fight with yellow-legged hornets continues, with nests still being discovered as winter approaches. Despite ongoing eradication efforts and a strong public reporting effort, experts warn that even a single surviving queen could see the problem re-emerge next spring, making vigilance, now, more important than ever.

Beekeepers are wary and Biosecurity New Zealand (BNZ) has been out in force in certain Auckland suburbs over the past four months as the response to spring’s yellow-legged hornet incursion has wound on. So far hornets have only been found in Auckland and on February 4 BNZ presented a webinar to approximately 160 beekeepers to detail the response thus far, from nest removal and radio tracking technology, to what beekeepers can do to help as summer winds into autumn.