Published by New Zealand Geographic, this comprehensive article follows the real‑life biosecurity effort in Auckland to find and eliminate the Yellow‑legged hornet before it can gain any foothold in New Zealand.

The article highlights how this aggressive invasive insect poses a serious risk to pollinators and horticulture and shows the scale and complexity of the response operation - from public sightings and field surveillance to specialist tracking and nest destruction.

It underlines the critical role of early detection and reporting in protecting New Zealand’s primary industries – including kiwifruit growers - demonstrating how community vigilance and rapid response can make all the difference between eradication and long‑term impact.

Image: Mark a hornet and you can figure out its flight line and time in the air - data that often leads teams right to the nest. Credit Lottie Hedley, New Zealand Geographic.