\u201cThe trackers, which complement on-the-ground surveillance and public notifications, will become increasingly useful as summer progresses and hornets begin building larger secondary nests high up in trees where they\u2019re less visible to ground searchers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have located three secondary nests so far and, after comprehensive planning, have successfully treated and removed them.\u201d<\/p>\n
Inglis said Biosecurity NZ always expected to find increasing numbers of hornets, and had scaled up surveillance and tracking programme accordingly. <\/p>\n
\u201cFinding hornets and their nests is a sign that our response is working as intended.\u201d<\/p>\n
Using tracking, trapping and ground surveillance, along with public notifications, the team has located and destroyed 49 queens, 51 nests and hundreds of workers to date.<\/p>\n
The team located three small nests \u2013 one in Takapuna and two in Forrest Hill.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese finds are well within zone B of our intense surveillance and trapping area, with zone C going out to 11km,\u201d Inglis said.<\/p>\n
A network of more than 1080 traps was operating. <\/p>\n
The zones reflected the density of traps, and there had been no detections outside the 11km area.<\/p>\n
Watch a video of a tracker being attached below.<\/p>\n
Inglis said public support was vital to the response, with more than 11,060 notifications to date.<\/p>\n
He urged people to get in contact.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe encourage anyone who has a suspected hornet specimen, has located a possible nest, or has taken a clear photo to report it to us online at report.mpi.govt.nz<\/a>, or by calling 0800 80 99 66.”<\/p>\n