Yellow-legged hornet sightings in Auckland in 2025

Latest update: 14 November 2025

Biosecurity New Zealand is urging Aucklanders to continue to be on the lookout for yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) or nests.

We’re responding to the discovery of queen hornets and nests in the Glenfield and Birkdale areas on Auckland’s North Shore.

To date, there have been 7 confirmed queen hornets found (based on specimens). Five of the 7 confirmed queen hornets were found with evidence of nesting.

In addition, one suspect queen hornet has been identified from a photograph in the same suburb. However, Biosecurity New Zealand is aware of members of the public taking previously published photos of the hornet and posting them on social media, with claims it is a new discovery in a different region of New Zealand. This means confirmation from photographs alone is not possible and could be misleading.

We’ve had an excellent response from the public. We have received more than 2,720 notifications up to 14 November 2025.

A plan of work is under way that includes: 

enhanced on-the-ground surveillance in the areas where the queen hornets have been found
the use of protein bait traps in addition to those already out and drawing on the expertise of a Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of independent scientific experts with expertise in the biology, ecology, and management of social wasps.

The best surveillance tool we have is for people to report any sightings of suspected hornets or hornet nests. This can be done:

online at report.mpi.govt.nz
by calling our exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 809 966.

These detections have given us a good indication of where the hornets may be.

To support surveillance, Biosecurity New Zealand has laid more than 180 traps in a measured way in areas where females have been found. We are checking those traps daily. We continue to add additional traps in areas where queen hornets are found, so the number of traps will continue to increase.

Media releases

Risk to New Zealand from hornets

The yellow-legged hornet is a biosecurity concern due to its potential impact on honeybee and wild bee populations.

It primarily feeds on bees, wasps, and flies. It may compete with native insects and birds for food, and it has a painful sting.

How you can help

Yellow-legged hornets have only been detected in Auckland. We believe it’s unlikely they are present outside this area. However, Biosecurity New Zealand is closely monitoring the situation and is encouraging people to remain vigilant and report any suspected hornet or nest sightings.

The best surveillance tool we have right now is for people to report any sightings of suspected hornets or hornet nests:

Don’t attempt to remove or control a suspected hornet nest yourself or spray a hornet or nest with insecticide. It is very important for Biosecurity New Zealand to know where the hornets are active. Any attempt to control them risks pushing them away, making it difficult to find and control them.

We appreciate that taking photos can be hard, as the hornets are strong flyers, but images are the best method for us to assess the valuable observations made by the public.

If you think you have found a hornet or its nest, take a clear photo and report:

online at report.mpi.govt.nz
by calling our exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 809 966.

Hornet traps

To support surveillance, Biosecurity New Zealand has deployed more than 180 traps in the area, with their placement guided by public notifications. They are being checked daily. We continue to add additional traps in areas where queen hornets are found.

We know many people want to help by setting their own traps. To support this, we’ve created some easy-to-follow instructions for building a simple homemade trap.

How to make a homemade hornet trap – Fact sheet [PDF, 1.1 MB]

These and other types of homemade traps may attract hornets, but may also trap other insects.

A suggested bait formula to add to your trap is 400g of sugar, 10g of yeast, and 1 litre of water. You can also add 100ml of beer to this mixture.

It is important to closely monitor any homemade trap and to be familiar with local wasp species that are not a concern in this response.

Know the difference between hornets and common wasps

One hornet and 3 different wasp species side by side, numbered from 1 to 4.

From left to right, biggest to smallest: 1 Yellow-legged hornet, 2 German wasp, 3 Asian paper wasp, 4 Australian paper wasp.

If you make and install a homemade trap and believe you have caught a hornet, take a clear photograph and report it online or by calling 0800 809 966. Do not handle live hornets.

Identifying nests

Yellow-legged hornets build large nests (up to 80 cm tall), often high in trees or under eaves.

However, early embryo nests created by queen hornets at the beginning of the spring season can be as small as a tennis ball and may appear within a couple of days.

Do not disturb any suspected nest. Take a photo and report it to Biosecurity New Zealand.

Hornet building a white spherical nest with a bottom opening.

A queen yellow-legged hornet develops an embryo or primary nest (pictured). Worker hornets raised in the primary nest build a larger, secondary nest during the summer. Photo credit: John de Carteret – Jersey

Identifying yellow-legged hornets

The yellow-legged hornet has distinctive dark legs with bright yellow tips. In contrast, common wasp species in New Zealand, such as the German wasp (Vespula germanica), typically have uniformly yellow or yellow-striped legs.

The yellow-legged hornet is also much larger than honey bees and common wasp species seen in New Zealand.