Biosecurity NZ urges vigilance for yellow-legged hornets
Biosecurity New Zealand says Kiwis should continue to keep an eye out for yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) over the holiday season.
Farm biosecurity raises questions about rural professionals visiting farms then needing to clean their footwear.
The Jacson Cube, a compact, lightweight, all-in-one boot cleaning and disinfecting system folds up for the boot of a car or ute.
It’s the idea of business partners Rusty Knutson and Jacqui Humm of Jacson3, developed over the last two years.
The idea emerged when Knutson, collecting calves for export, saw many farmers struggling to restrict the spread of diseases such as rotavirus and cryptosporidium between mobs of animals.
Thorough cleaning and disinfecting of boots on entry and exit from each property was obviously difficult to do well with just a basic bucket, brush, and spray bottle combo.
So came the Jacson Cube for cleaning and disinfecting lots of shoes.
It’s made from heavy polypropylene; the three main components -- body, lid and car-boot tray/footbath -- weigh 10kg empty and 15kg when filled with water or disinfectant.
It takes one minute to set up and two to pack away.
A rotating brush is mounted on an aluminium spindle which is mounted to a rhino-plastic grating that keeps debris and contaminants away from the body.
A hand-brush can be used to shift stubborn debris while using the integrated handle in the lid for support. An integral power-spray applicator draws disinfectant from a 3L reservoir and uses a spray tip with enough pressure to shift debris.
The body contains storage for disinfectant, gloves, wipes and hand sanitiser.
For set-up the unit is connected by a 13-15mm hose-tail, from where liquid is directed upwards into the brush assembly. From here it cascades over and under the footwear, whose motion causes the brush to rotate.
It’s also designed for use without a water source, by using the integral reservoir, carried in a vehicle boot; this can double as a footbath if used with an optional integral disinfectant mat.
Dairy prices have jumped in the overnight Global Dairy Trade (GDT) auction, breaking a five-month negative streak.
Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving the company after three years in the role.
A booklet produced in 2025 by the Rotoiti 15 trust, Department of Conservation and Scion – now part of the Bioeconomy Science Institute – aims to help people identify insect pests and diseases.
A Taranaki farmer and livestock agent who illegally swapped NAIT tags from cows infected with a bovine disease in an attempt to sell the cows has been fined $15,000.
Bill and Michelle Burgess had an eye-opening realisation when they produced the same with fewer cows.
It was love that first led Leah Prankerd to dairying. Decades later, it's her passion for the industry keeping her there, supporting, and inspiring farmers across the region.

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