European Wasp nest removal?

Actually, after re-reading this, I suspect they’re not European wasps, as they normally nest in the ground.

A guy at work here asserts that the “apply from a distance and do not ingest” Bunnings spray may not actually kill off the nests (assuming you know where they all are).
So get in a professional.

But notify TAMS if you really want to take part in their information-gathering.
But a neat way of getting rid of most wasps is to set fire to a bunch of greenish leaves\piles of paper underneath the nests to get them smoked out and dizzy beforehand, and then go burning their nest.
But not reccommended as a first option if you’ve never tried it before, and the nest is in your house awning.

I’ve sent a few wasps to hell, usually using a can of WD40 and a lighter turned up high. If you let the can spray for a second or so before hitting the lights there will be plenty of fuel on the nest to burn it up quick smart.

Onve you’ve given it a good burn, run some fly spray over the smoking ruins of the nest. The next day, give it a prod with a shovel or long stick, and it should fall off and apart.

If you don’t feel confident doing this, call one of those girly numbers the government gives out for big girls who are too scared to get rid of some little bugs.

I forgot to mention that it was effective at eliminating the wasps…

I once got bitten by one of these suckers at my mates place. His response was to douse a broom with petrol, light it and hold it up to the nest. He also threw some petrol in the gutter above for good measure. Needless to say, there was a considerable fireball on the side of his house.

Do not spray them with fly spray – regardless of strength – they will still have time to chase you, and they will! And they hurt – big time.

I agree with Thumper, having offed many paper wasp nests over the years – lots of wasps in Qld…

A fly spray with a good squirting action, a lighter, and if necessary a ladder, are all you need.

The advantage of this is that the flame burns off their wings instantly, so they can’t chase you. Then the spray itself poisons them and anything left in their nest like larvae.

Practice a few times away from the nest to get the hang of it first – makes for great fireworks show, but be warned – produces copious smoke. Light the lighter, then start spraying 20 cm or so above the flame and 30-40 cms back from it. Then carefully move the spray stream down towards the flame until the flame-thrower action takes off. (Makes a great sound!)

You can get very good at doing this with nests against walls and eaves even without scorching the paintwork.

And the most important thing is to wait until night time. That way, everyone is at home and you take out the whole lot of them.

Nothing worse than doing it at daytime, and having their relatives fly home past your head when you are in the middle of burning their house down. For some strange reason it seems to make them angry…

For the love of being alive, get a professional to do it. It doesn’t cost much.

that will just make ’em madder

High pressure hose nozzle to the nest will do it.

Yeah, I wouldn’t touch them myself – plenty of idiots have died a horrid death playing with the European Wasp.

Call a Pest Controller, and let them take appropriate action.

Funny thing is, when I was a wee tacker, we knew them as German Wasps. But then maybe NZ hadn’t forgiven the Germans in the 1970s for what they did to the Kiwis on the Western Front in 1916!

can of deodorant and a lighter, they wont stand a chance

The first thing I’d ask is how do you know it is a European Wasp nest? Are you certain you haven’t confused it with some other native wasp like the common mud dauber?

If you know it is a European Wasp nest (or you don’t care either way) and you are going to destroy the nest yourself – beware – European Wasp nests have many workers and they ferociously protect the queen. Make sure you cover up from head to toe and try spraying it at night when the weather is cooler and the wasps are less active.

You should still contact the hotline. It is important that they know the details of the nest so they can update their records and manage the problem in the ACT accordingly.

“i knew someone who tried that and promptly set their house alight, via the awnings and insulation. ironically, he worked for the fire brigade.”

I wonder if he followed Thumper’s advice and tried it again?

I swea, rone of these days I won’t make a typo.

While we’re being wildly impratcial…
Use the Aliens option:
Take off and nuke the site from orbit. Its the only way to be sure.

i knew someone who tried that and promptly set their house alight, via the awnings and insulation. ironically, he worked for the fire brigade.

Try this for small infestations. As with all exoskeltal creatures, hot water does a good trick. may i suggest you leave your hose in the sun for q few hours then give them a whalloping. This sun trick will also ‘unkink’ and detangle your hose too.

The ACT government will only remove them if they are on government land,
Linky

otherwise you can either, contact a pest controller, or remove it yourself.

If you decide to do it yourself then follow the following instructions.
General stuff on killing wasps or if their nest is below ground

have fun, take care and remember to take lots of pictures and post the better pictures here.

If they’re on Govenmentt land, the people to call are the TAMS European Wasp Hotline on 02 6162 1914, but if they’re on private property they’re your responsibility to have them removed\forcibly expired onsite.

I can’t actually recommend anyone to do the killing for you, having only ever gotten rid of pests with the industrial-strength “Apply from a distance and do not ingest” insecticides from Bunnings.

Don’t know about their efficiency in killing Waspy Eurotrash, but everything it comes in contact with seems to die, so it might be your best shot.
Otherwise the Yellowpages or Google are your friend.

I wouldn’t go near the buggers – seriously. Contact Environment ACT, I suspect that they have a wasp erradication programme and will probably send a couple of chaps in white cover-all’s to nuke the crap out of the nest.

Get one of those Mortein 4L spray bottles from Bunnings. Stand back and spray the buggers. They drop off real soon.