Regional buffer zones could be key to halting the spread of Asian hornets, Northlander Brad Windust says— and Cabinet Minister Shane Jones agrees, saying the idea is “worth pursuing”.

Windust, a biosecurity worker and former beekeeper, believes regions have a two-year window to act against the bee-eating hornet, which threatens honeybees, crops, and ecosystems and has devastated pollination overseas especially in Europe.

Alongside buffer zones, he wants regional education programmes so people — especially beekeepers — can identify hornets early.

He’s calling on regional councils, industry groups, and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones - through the Regional Development fund - to step up.

“Every dollar spent now saves hundreds of thousands later,” Windust said.

Windust believed Biosecurity New Zealand’s response to the Auckland incursion has been inadequate.

He criticised delays after two male hornets were found earlier this year in the Auckland suburbs of Grafton and Albany. Windust said those signalled a nest survived last summer from which hundreds of queen hornets must also have dispersed.

So far, Biosecurity New Zealand has focused its efforts in Glenfield and Birkdale on Auckland’s Northshore, where residents found four queens and BioNZ has since set 135 bait stations.

Windust said effective containment would require about 14,500 stations in a 34km radial grid from those finds — the distance queens can travel to start new colonies.

To protect Northland, he estimated 3400 bait stations would be needed across a 100km stretch from Mangawhai to the west coast. Stations could be cheaply made from recycled plastic bottles.

Hornets could also “hitch-hike” on vehicles and goods so any that made it through the buffer zone, would likely be spotted first by beekeepers.

Hornets naturally gravitate to bee hives, Windust said, so it was important beekeepers could identify them.

Overseas, captured hornets have been fitted with tiny radio transmitters and traced back to their nests for extermination.

If the species survives this summer, Windust warned, it will inevitably spread.

Jones called the idea of regional buffer zones “refreshing and innovative”. He promised to raise it with Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard.

Windust’s proposal fits the need for locally driven solutions and could engage youth in practical conservation, Jones said.

“Anything we can do to better connect the community with a sense of greater ownership in relation to environmental stewardship, of course, I’m up for that.”

Lessons from the failed kauri dieback response in Northland showed the need for innovation and community-led action, Jones said.

Northland Regional Council (NRC) biosecurity manager Don McKenzie said NRC shares concerns but MPI is leading the Auckland response and needs more time to confirm if other queens are present.

MPI has not requested the council’s assistance or advised regional buffer zones.

NRC is not recommending trapping outside of Auckland yet, as honeybees and native insects could be caught, but urges early detection and reporting with clear evidence, McKenzie said.

Hornet traps can be made from recycled plastic bottles.

Windust said he remained hopeful that Biosecurity New Zealand could eradicate the hornets in Auckland but said the public couldn’t rely on it and there was too much at stake for New Zealand’s economy and ecosystems.

He was disappointed to have been a lonely voice in the call for a stronger response from MPI.

He questioned why grower and farmer groups, which stood so much to lose, hadn’t used their collective strength.

Horticulture New Zealand, Kiwifruit Vine Health (KVH), and NZ Avocado said while they are concerned about the hornets, they are currently content to rely on Biosecurity New Zealand’s leadership rather than take independent action.

Horticulture NZ praised MPI’s “quick response” and increased surveillance. NZ Avocado highlighted coordinated previous research and planning with other horticultural sectors and Biosecurity New Zealand for long-term management of potential pollination threats.

Fonterra said it is a founding signatory of the Biosecurity Business Pledge, and works through industry-government agreements to share responsibility for biosecurity responses.

Sarah Curtis is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on a wide range of issues. She has nearly 20 years’ experience in journalism, most of which she spent court reporting in Gisborne and on the East Coast.