Two new pest species have turned up in New Zealand and recently these have become established on Waiheke Island. They are:

The Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) A highly invasive ant that is now widespread in the North Island.

The Plague Skink (Lampropholis delicata) An Australian species that breeds prolifically,
and out-competes our native skinks. It now occurs throughout the upper North Island.

Unfortunately, last year plague skink eggs and a few adults were found in the Gulf Trees nursery. This was a serious blow to our Bio-security status. Plague skinks are very widespread on Waiheke and it was really a matter of time before they made it this far. Unfortunately, eradication is not an option at the moment. Their presence is not an issue for Waiheke customers - you probably have these skinks at you place anyway.

It is an issue if you were thinking of buying our plants and planting on any of the pest-free Gulf islands. Auckland Council Bio-security are aware of this find. They tell us that our plants may still be exported to these islands under certain conditions. The safest option is that the plants are bare-rooted prior to transporting. Other possibilities exist too. Please get in touch with us if you are interested in taking plants to offshore islands. We can discuss it with you and A.C.

We do not have Argentine Ants in the nursery. I feel these would be a more serious pest than the plague skinks. We are keeping a really sharp eye out for these ants, and have implemented procedures such as washing all returned containers, as soon as they come back to the nursery.

Most importantly, we have expert help in the Auckland Biosecurity team. Any order leaving Gulf Trees and going to a pest free area is checked by the team, notably by Brian Shields and his dog Rhys. Rhys is the only specially trained Argentine ant detecting dog in New Zealand.

So far they have detected nothing. Brian recognises the importance of having a pest free nursery and says he would act immediately if anything turned up, and attempt eradication. Brian has also checked out our off-island suppliers, to make sure do not harbour these pests.

If you are buying plants for an Argentine Ant/Rainbow Skink-free area, or if you are concerned about them, please contact us to get an update on our status here at Gulf Trees.