A yellow-legged hornet queen was found building a nest on Auckland's North Shore. Photo: 123rf
Aucklanders are being put on alert to look for hornets after a queen was found building a nest on the North Shore.
It is the first time a queen yellow-legged hornet has been found in the country.
The nest in Glenfield has been removed by biosecurity officers, who said that addresses in the immediate area were at threat of a colony establishing.
But the Ministry for Primary Industries said other undiscovered hornets could be a risk as summer approaches.
Two male hornets were found earlier this year in Grafton and Albany.
Yellow-legged hornets, which MPI said are a highly-adaptable predator, are a biosecurity concern because of the threat to honey and wild bees.
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