The wasps faced an epic journey. Firstly, a flight from London to Cape Town, in a cool bag, followed by an enforced stay in a hotel room as part of a staff member's Covid quarantine. Next came a week-long boat journey to Tristan with temperatures sometimes dropping below freezing, raising concerns about whether some of the wasps would survive the trip.
The RSPB, the Tristan da Cunha Government and partners hatched an unorthodox plan involving the release of Microterys nietneri, a tiny parasitoid wasp that prevents the scale insects from breeding. This bold initiative aimed to not only protect the Wilkins' bunting population but also to restore the ecological balance on Nightingale Island.
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