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Wasps Control, Wasp Extermination, Wasp Pest Control, Wasps Removal |
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Wasps
The European Wasp is now established in Melbourne, and will in time throughout much of Australia. The English wasp has been known in Melbourne for some time and has similar habits to the European Wasp. Separation of these two species is normally beyond the ability of pest controllers and not relevant in selecting control options.
Structure
The workers are sterile females about 12-15mm long, with yellow bands on a black body. They are fast fliers, with clear wings that fold longitudinally over their bodies. Queens and males measure about 20mm, the queen having a stout abdomen and the male a long thin abdomen. The nest varies in size from about 15cm to about 5 metres and may contain up to 4 million cells and over 100,000 workers. The wasps nest mostly in the ground, tree stumps, rockeries, wall cavities and roof voids.
Life Cycle
Each nest usually lasts 1 year, but in warmer climates the nest may survive and extend. In winter the males die off, and the newly fertilized queens hibernate to build other nests the following year. The new queen lays eggs in the cells of the nest, and after some weeks in the larval stage the wasps pupate and emerge as adults, which take over the work of the nest. After one Summer the nest may have 100,000 individuals.
Pest Status
The European Wasp may sting several times when disturbed or agitated, and the sting is very painful. The wasp is predatory on other insects and their larvae, and has some value in this regard.
Control
European Wasps are easy to control in domestic areas for there are now many effective insecticides. Carbaryl and propoxur dusts are effective for the control of in-ground and concealed nests. Propoxur aerosol sprays may be applied to obvious nests, but precautions must be taken to ensure against stings. This is best done at night, when wasp activity is reduced. The nest may be covered with plastic and the aerosol introduced into the confined space. The nest should be removed and burnt after control, to ensure that no pupae in the sealed cells have survived.
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