Yellow-legged hornet incursion 2025
Yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) are an exotic pest that preys on honey bees and poses a serious threat to New Zealand's beekeeping and pollination sectors. It is also an Unwanted Organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993.
A small population was discovered on Auckland's North Shore in October 2025, and genetic testing indicates all the hornets found are related, likely descending from a single fertilised queen that arrived in the country in 2024. Beyond the risk to bees, the hornet also delivers a painful sting.
Biosecurity New Zealand has been running a large-scale eradication response since November 2025, drawing on local and international scientific expertise and supported by tools such as radio tracking, AI-enabled detection cameras, and bait stations. As at late August 2026, 77 queen hornets and 133 nests had been located and destroyed, with no hornets detected since early April 2026.
Operations are currently from the winter monitoring phase to the spring operational phase, with traps checks and surveillance set to increase as temperatures rise.
NZBB’s role
NZBB has been closely involved in the response since it began, sitting at the governance table alongside MPI and other Government Industry Agreement (GIA) partners to represent the beekeeping industry and help shape the operation's direction.
We've supplied MPI with accurate apiary location data across Zones A–C, supporting their ArcGIS mapping of the response area and enabling trap placement on beekeeper properties within the surveillance zone. Throughout the response, we've kept beekeepers informed by circulating key updates and guidance from MPI and helping raise awareness of the risk hornets pose to hives.
NZBB will continue supporting the sector with timely updates, so beekeepers can stay informed and vigilant.
From left to right, biggest to smallest: 1 Yellow-legged hornet, 2 German wasp, 3 Asian paper wasp, 4 Australian paper wasp.
Source: MPI YLH page
Hornet trap locations and detection area
Refer to the MPI page to zoom in on the map or to download and print the map.
Get involved
Beekeepers and members of the public play a vital role in this effort. If you see a suspected yellow-legged hornet or nest, don't disturb it. Please take a photo if you can, note the location, and report it straight away by calling Biosecurity New Zealand’s Exotic Pest and Disease hotline on 0800 809 966.
Stay updated about the response on MPI's dedicated site on the yellow-legged hornet incursion response by accessing this link.