Pests & Diseases News

Didymo has been detected in Queenstown Bay in Lake Wakatipu, Biosecurity New Zealand and the Queenstown Lakes District Council announced today.

Didymo has been detected in two more rivers at the top of the South Island, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand announced today.

New Zealand and European Union negotiators have agreed a proposal that would have significant economic benefits should New Zealand ever have a serious animal health disease such as Foot and Mouth (FMD).

Further details of the snakehead found in a gutter in a Napier street on Monday night have come to light today.

Biosecurity New Zealand surveillance of apiaries around varroa mite infested areas in Nelson has detected three apiaries infected with low levels of the mite.

A new varroa movement control line, that includes a five kilometre buffer zone, has been established in consultation with affected beekeepers. The controlled area notice declared in
June has been revoked and replaced with a new controlled area notice which took effect at 1 pm on Thursday 9 November 2006.

The suspect sample from the Rangitikei River is not didymo, MAF Biosecurity New Zealand announced today.

Biosecurity New Zealand is awaiting results of a suspect didymo sample being collected from the Rangitikei River this morning.

Biosecurity New Zealand is making good progress to identify an alternative insecticide to be used for feral bee baiting as part of the programme to eliminate varroa in the Nelson area, Biosecurity New Zealand Senior Policy Analyst Paul Bolger said today.

Biosecurity New Zealand has completed its first survey of commercial broiler and layer farms throughout the country and found no highly pathogenic avian influenza.