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Find out if you can walk the walk about protecting New Zealand's borders from pests and diseases... It's more fun than it sounds.

Are You A Biosecurity Genius?

Ensuring that no new pests or diseases enter New Zealand is the top priority of our biosecurity officers.

Preventing pests and diseases arriving and establishing in New Zealand

You can't blame passing celebrities for everything; declare or dispose of any fruit or vegetables at the airport if you accidentally bring some in.

Declare or dispose

You're at Auckland airport, and you find an Australian apple in your bag. Do you:

Pretty much every aspect of the country could be affected by a major incursion; that's why it's so important to stop them at the border.

All of the above

What aspects of Kiwi life could be negatively affected by a biosecurity incursion?

While it looks extremely similar to the native brown soldier bug, BMSB can be distinguised from other bugs by its striped antennae, brown and white markings on the abdomen, and lack of wheels.

D is BMSB

Which of these is the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB)?

The responsibility for keeping New Zealand pest and disease free is all of our's, from the officers on the front line to the citizen who sees a weird looking bug.

Even if it turns out be nothing to worry about, it's best to capture it to be safe. Then call the MPI Pest and Diseases hotline on

Catch it, snap it, and report it

What should you do if you find a suspected exotic pest in your home or garden?

Hon Damien O'Connor is the MP for West Coast Tasman, and Minister of Agriculture, Biosecurity, Food Safety, and Rural Communities, as well as Associate Minister of Trade and Export Growth. Busy man!

Damien O'Connor

Who is the current Minister for Biosecurity?

The Gold3 fruit is more resistant to the Pseudomonas syringae pv actinadiae bacteria, better known as Psa, and was commercialised by Zespri in 2010. It is marketed internationally under the name of SunGold.

Sungold (Gold-3)

What breed of kiwfruit was created by Plant & Food Research as a reaction to the 2009 Psa outbreak?

An uncontrolled invasion of the BMSB would devastate New Zealand's fruit, vegetable, and wine industries, potentially destroying almost four billion dollars of export value.

$3.6bn

If brown marmorated stink bug were to establish in New Zealand, how much could it cost the country by 2028?

Knowledge and education are the best ways to combat incursions; when people know what to report, they can do it.  
Though a few cans of bug spray couldn't hurt.

Information

What is the most powerful weapon in our arsenal for protecting New Zealand's biosecurity?

Not great, buddy. Maybe hit up the internet and do some reading, yeah?

Biosecurity novice

Hey, that's not too bad. But maybe hit up the internet and have a read over some stuff, do even better next time.

Biosecurity intermediate

That's what we're talking about buddy, you really know your stuff! Google BMSB for even more information on this pest.

Biosecurity Master

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Are You A Biosecurity Genius?

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