Wasps are back! What to do if you find a wasp nest
Spring has arrived in Victoria, which means warmer days, gardens waking up ... and the return of the dreaded European wasp.
RESIDENTIAL PEST CONTROLWASPSCOMMERCIAL PEST CONTROL
10/1/20262 min read
Spring has arrived in Victoria, which means warmer days, gardens waking up ... and the return of some considerably less welcome visitors.
Wasps. Angry little stripey thugs with absolutely no respect for personal space.
While Australia has thousands of species of wasp, many of which are native, beneficial and best left alone, but the European (also called a German wasp) wasp is none of these things.
Is it a European wasp?
European wasps are around 12–16mm long, with a bright yellow and black body, yellow legs and black antennae. Unlike bees, they're relatively smooth rather than fuzzy, and they're particularly interested in the food and drinks we're trying to enjoy outside.
They're also aggressive, and capable of stinging repeatedly.
European wasps can become particularly aggressive when their nest is threatened, so if you've found one, this isn't really the occasion for your thongs, a can of supermarket insect spray and a sudden burst of confidence.
Where do wasps build their nests?
You may never actually see the nest!
Around 80% of European wasp nests are found underground or close to ground level. They can be hidden in old holes, around tree bases, behind retaining walls, in rockeries, under compost heaps or amongst discarded stuff you meant to get rid off but haven't quite got around to.
They can also establish nests in roof spaces, wall cavities and other sheltered parts of buildings.
If you're regularly seeing wasps travelling backwards and forwards along roughly the same flight path, there's a pretty good chance there's a nest somewhere nearby.
Found a nest? Please don't poke it with a stick.
We feel this shouldn't require saying, and yet humanity has provided ample evidence to the contrary.
Don't disturb the nest, block the entrance or attempt to dig it up. European wasps actively defend their colony and can sting multiple times. A disturbed nest can very quickly turn one annoyed wasp into many annoyed wasps, which is far less entertaining than it sounds.
Professional treatment involves identifying the species, locating the nest and, where treatment is necessary, using a specific insecticide registered for that purpose.
Many Australian wasps are native, play useful roles in the environment and pose very little threat to us. Correct identification matters.
So if you've discovered a suspicious amount of wasp traffic around your home or business, give Button Pest Control a call. We'll investigate it. You keep the stick in the shed.
Button Pest Control
0485 522 559
info@buttonpestcontrol.com.au
PO Box 547, Pakenham, VIC 3810
Licenses: L010955 / L012918
ABN: 52 596 097 818
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