The Ministry for Primary Industries has refuted concerns of yellow-legged hornets reaching the Bay of Plenty.

This follows a social media post of a suspected nest in Paengaroa this week.

People are asked to report suspected yellow-legged hornet nests to MPI.

MPI entomologists assessed the image and said it was not a yellow-legged hornet nest.

Commissioner North Mike Inglis said Biosecurity NZ was aware of the public publishing photos or comments on social media, claiming a new discovery in a different region of New Zealand.

“Our entomologists assess all photos sent to MPI through our notification process.

“No queen hornets or nests have been found outside of the Glenfield and Birkdale areas on Auckland’s North Shore.”

Trap locations as at December 9, 2025 (yellow dots). All queen yellow-legged hornets have been found in Zone A (red circle) – a 1km buffer around detections. Photo / MPI

He said these comments of new discoveries are misleading and cause concern for the country’s beekeepers.

“We remind people that if they suspect they have found a hornet or its nest to contact MPI through the online reporting tool or the 0800 number, and our entomologists are the best placed to advise.”

A total of 34 confirmed queen hornets had been found on Auckland’s North Shore, in Glenfield and Birkdale to date.

Of those, 22 were found with developed nests or evidence of nesting.

Biosecurity NZ have received more than 5330 notifications from the public and expected to find more hornets over the summer.

The agency said 30% of notifications were from outside Auckland.

While detections are currently limited to Auckland’s North Shore, Biosecurity New Zealand encouraged nationwide vigilance.

Inglis advised people to check common nesting areas such as roof eaves, sheltered entrances, wooden structures, carports, under wooden decks, sheds and outbuildings.

“Don’t attempt to remove or control a suspected hornet nest yourself.

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

Photos can be reported by calling the exotic pest and disease hotline on 0800 809 966 or online at report.mpi.govt.nz.

Bijou Johnson is a multimedia journalist based in the Bay of Plenty. A passionate writer and reader, she grew up in Tauranga and developed a love for journalism while exploring various disciplines at university. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Classical Studies from Massey University.

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