Kmart NZ has recalled a line of their wooden serving trays, and brace yourselves because the reason why is not what you want lurking in your homeware.
The trays have been pulled off the shelves due to concerns about an infestation of woodboring beetles AKA borer.
The recall began after Michelle Reichardt, a mom from Northland, discovered sawdust and holes in her serving tray. She wasted no time and promptly reported it to the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI), the government's biosecurity agency. Thank goodness she did!
SOURCE: Michelle Reichardt via Stuff
An MPI spokesperson has since revealed to Stuff that the unwelcome insect intruder was identified as the African powderpost beetle, also known as Lyctus africanus.
“The importer has recalled the trays pending further investigation and the infested item has been securely destroyed.”
Now, if you head over to Kmart's website and search for the ‘acacia serving tray’, you'll be greeted with a disappointing message: "Product not found." The product will remain unavailable until further notice.
According to a Kmart spokesperson, all the trays have been "secured" to prevent any more of these creepy crawlies from getting out.
They do intend to destroy the trays eventually, but the final decision lies with the MPI.
“It’s not as simplistic as sending them off for destruction immediately. The scope needs to be determined as not all products will be affected,” the spokesperson said.
The Kmart spokesperson also acknowledged that wood-eating insects are an issue across the industry and assured customers that they're working hard to address the problem.
The good news is that borer isn't as big of a threat to our homes as we might think.
It can only burrow into softwood or wood that has been exposed to moisture.
So, keep an eye out for any suspicious bugs, and if you happen to stumble upon an exotic pest, give MPI's hotline a call at 0800 80 99 66.
