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Invasive wasps costing New Zealand economy, environment

Xinhua, April 2, 2015 Adjust font size:

Invasive wasps from overseas are costing the New Zealand economy more than 130 million NZ dollars (97.24 million U.S. dollars) a year, according to a government report released on Thursday.

Wasps were one of the most damaging invertebrate pests in New Zealand, harming native birds and insects and competing for food with native species, said the study commissioned by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and the Ministry for Primary Industries.

The study has found that wasps also have a major financial impact on primary industries and the health sector.

Wasps disrupting bee pollination activities, reducing the amount of clover in pastures and increasing fertilizer costs, added more than 60 million NZ dollars (44.88 million U.S. dollars) a year in cost to pastoral farming. Endi