Meet the Yellow Legged Hornet (hereafter v. velutina). This most unwelcome insect has been discovered in Auckland. Nobody is quite sure how long it has been here, but the multiple reports of confirmed sightings suggest it is unfortunately somewhat established.
For beekeepers, horticulture, viticulture and other industries, this is potentially the biggest threat to be positively identified in New Zealand since the varroa bee-mite incursion of the early 2000’s. What is worse is that the Government response to this intruder is even more wanting than the $3 million allocated to dealing with varroa bee-mites by the Helen Clark Government. At the time of writing this, I am not aware of a single Minister of the Crown having any comment to make, despite this being a multiple agency emergency – it is a health hazard, a biosecurity threat and a horticulture threat. That means there has been no official response from Nicola Grigg, Mark Patterson, Andrew Hoggard (all Assoc. Ministers of Agriculture), Todd McClay (Minister of Agriculture), David Seymour, Casey Costello, Matt Doocey (all Assoc. Ministers of Health) Simeon Brown (Minister of Health). Nor has Mr Hoggard responded in his capacity as Minister of Biosecurity.
So, what was the problem with varroa bee mites that made it so scary. To be clear, the bee mite posed no threat to humans, but is a parasite that attached to honey bees, and could shorten their life span, make them more vulnerable to disease, weaken them and was easily spreadable to other colonies.
The varroa bee-mite was dangerous in other ways. It is a tiny white coloured mite that was almost microscopic in detail. Due to its tiny size it could very easily – as we eventually found out – slip through control points unnoticed. The favoured solution was perhaps even more terrifying than the bee-mite itself. To ensure no possibility of it spreading, every hive within a couple kilometres of an infected hive had to be destroyed. Given the number of bees that inhabit a healthy hive, this easily meant tens of thousands of bees being killed all for a bee mite not even 2mm in size.
Since the varroa bee-mite incursion though, it would seem that the awareness of New Zealanders to biosecurity threats and the need to address them – perhaps helped in no small amount by television programmes such as Border Security and Border Patrol – has improved markedly. If commentary on social media is an indicator, New Zealanders across the country though appear to recognise the threat for what it is and are not waiting for the Government to (not) respond. Nor are Biosecurity, who, despite having their funding slashed, are actively trying to get the message out on social media, with instructions on what to do if people should encounter them, particularly in the Auckland area, where they have been positively identified.
25 years later we have a stinging problem with the yellow legged hornet (v. velutina). Unlike the honey bees we love and need to pollenate our crops, there is nothing adorable about v. velutina. It is an aggressive insect. When it stings, which it will do readily, its sting is not barbed like a honey bee sting. That means it does not rip from the bee and lead to its death, and thus v. velutina can sting multiple times. Worse still, aside from the pain it can cause anaphylaxis, which is dangerous swelling that can choke the airway. Whilst honey bees can cause that too, it comes at the cost of their life.
How can we act against v. velutina? There is a lot of information on Google, including articles from Radio New Zealand and Ministry of Primary Industries. Ministry of Primary Industries, Minstry of Biosecurity both urge people who have v. velutina nests to not destroy the nests themselves. The insects become aggressive and there is the risk that not all will be caught. But do report any sighting or capture to M.P.I. on their Exotic Pest and Disease hotline at 0800 809966, or go to Report a Pest (M.P.I.).
Leftist Kiwi Writes 