We typically put a wasp trap up around the house in summer to keep the number of wasps at bay.
This year, they discovered a queen yellow-legged hornet in the early stages of building a nest in Glenfield on the North Shore in October, while two males were spotted earlier in the year in Grafton and Albany. It is the first time a Queen has been found in Aotearoa.
Victoria University professor of ecology and entomology Phil Lester advised that the hornet preys on honeybees.
He said in parts of Europe, 30 percent of honeybee colonies have been affected by this species of hornet, impacting crops and honey production.
We followed some advice given and built some additional traps from old bottles, filled with various types of bait.
We will be monitoring which bait will give best results.
