Sociality reduces the probability of eradication success of arthropod pests
Social insects are successful and globally significant invaders. Compared to ongoing suppression, eradication is seen as an ideal solution and cost effective in the long…
Biosecurity - Control
Once pests have become established, how can we best control or eradicate them?
Publication
Summary
BRIEF: What characterises a good biosecurity decision? – Best practice from stakeholder and expert interviews
Research carried out with key stakeholders identified the most important elements that make up good decision-making. Drawn from in-depth interviews with over three dozen key…
Publication
THESIS: Applying behavioural science to understand and support biosecurity risk assessments
Invasive species threaten the health, safety, sustainability, wellbeing, and prosperity of Aotearoa New Zealand. A key function of the biosecurity system is to comprehensively assess…
Webinar
End use cases of reference databases
Wananga 1: End use cases of reference databases Te Tiriti-guided national DNA reference library wānanga series Facilitators: Dr Susie Wood (Cawthron) & Dr Shaun…
Summary
BRIEF: Evaluating the use of gene drives for wasp control
Introduced wasps in Aotearoa New Zealand damage native ecosystems, harm human health, and threaten the beekeeping industry. Current pest control of wasps relies on spraying…
Publication
Anuhe Tawatawa, e!
Anuhe, tawatawa e! (Anuhe, mottled like the skin of a mackerel) – he pukapuka tēnei e whakamānawa ana i ngā mahi a Symon (Ngāi Te…
Video
Crazy & Ambitious 2 – 2019
A playlist of presentations given at New Zealand’s Biological Heritage Science Challenge conference, Crazy & Ambitious 2. 20 – 21 May 2019, Te Papa Wellington.
Publication
Healthy Bee, Sick Bee: The Influence of parasites, pathogens, predators and pesticides on honey bees
Phil Lester’s first book, The Vulgar Wasp, was about one of the world’s most hated insects. His second is about just the opposite – the honey…
Publication
High-Quality Assemblies for Three Invasive Social Wasps from the Vespula Genus
We sequenced and annotated the genomes of the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris), German wasp (Vespula germanica), and the western yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica). Our chromosome-level Vespula assemblies…
Publication
Fitness in invasive social wasps: the role of variation in viral load, immune response and paternity in predicting nest size and reproductive output
Here we investigate how infections with Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV), immune response and intracolony genetic diversity (due to queen polyandry) affect nest size in the invasive common…
Publication
Landholder participation in regional-scale control of invasive predators: an adaptable landscape model
We developed a spatially explicit model to estimate the effects of varying levels of landholder participation in landscape-scale programs to control invasive predators. We demonstrate…
Publication
An overview of introduced predator management in inhabited landscapes.
We describe the rise of community predator control and large landscape projects aspiring for a ‘Predator Free New Zealand’, and how such an aspiration must…
Media
Newly-found myrtle rust putting Waitakere Ranges at risk
First, it was kauri dieback, now another disease is putting Auckland’s Waitakere Ranges under threat, myrtle rust has been found there for the first time.…
Publication
Characterising uncertainty in risk assessments for biological control: using case studies from New Zealand to inform future research
Areas of uncertainty in the assessment of risks and benefits in applications for new biological control agents submitted to the regulator for proposed introduction into…
Publication
Scale and complexity implications of making New Zealand predator-free by 2050
The goal to make New Zealand predator-free by 2050 has drawn strong praise and criticism, but these critiques have focused largely on economic or technological…
Webinar
Pest control perceptions: comparing pesticides with next-generation control methods
In our part of the BioHeritage National Science Challenge we have been investigating the use of next-generation pest control technologies, with a focus on RNA…
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