19 January 2011

The wasp menace returns

| johnboy
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European wasp

Territory and Municipal Services are warning that european wasps are regrouping after a horror movie scenes in Narrabundah and Fadden:

“In addition to the Narrabundah nest, another resident from Fadden experienced something that was perhaps more suited to a horror movie with hundreds of wasps breaking into her bedroom through the ceiling. The terrified lady was fighting them off only with insect spray until we came to treat the site.

“Typically European wasp nests are always concealed and are often found under ground in the soil or above the ground in rockeries and tree stumps. Nests can be found by the constant stream of wasps flying to and from one particular location. European wasps are about the same size as a honey bee, with prominent black and yellow stripes with black spots on their abdomen.

“People should never attempt to treat the wasps themselves, as the nests can be home to many thousands of wasps, which are fiercely protective of their nest and will not hesitate to attack and sting if disturbed.”

Dr Spradbery urges Canberrans to locate nests and get them treated well before the populations of adults increase by many thousands and before the new queens are produced in the autumn.

“It’s a great opportunity to significantly reduce European wasp densities in the city,” Dr Spradbery said.

If you suspect you have a European wasp nest at home or you have seen one elsewhere please contact Phil Spradbery, European Wasp Hotline on 6162 1914.

[Photo courtesy of wikipedia]

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Captain RAAF11:28 am 20 Jan 11

I wonder if there is an increase in ‘Australian Bee’s’ in Europe right now?

Maybe they are time sharing?

It’s about balance, I noticed an increase in European wasps when I got rid of my bee hives (bees and European wasps don’t like each other).
Start killing all our native wasps (coz they might be European Wasps) and you get an increase in spiders etc.

These wasps look a lot like your common native paper wasp (polistes). According to Dr Phil these locals are good value and can be ignored, as long as they dont interfere with the bbq.

Captain RAAF9:40 pm 19 Jan 11

I for one welcome our wasp overlords!

Been there, called Phil a few days ago.

He put me onto Jeremy Hart who turned up the next business day. In fact, I was a few minutes late getting home and he was packing his gear away, having already sprayed the nest. A quick chat, and $80 later (which Phil claimed is the cheapest fee around) and he was off to the next place..

Here you were, with an opportunity to call the story “Yellow peril invades, terrorises Australian woman”, and you go for “the wasp menace”?
Poor form.

We had a few european wasps hanging around last year and bought some wasp traps from Green Harvest. They are the one in which you place water and sugar with a blob of cat food or similar to attract the beasties. They can get in but not out and end up floating in the mixture.

We noticed at the end of the season not only were the wasps trapped but some larger ones which we thought might be the Queens migrating from the nest looking for a new place to over-winter.

This year I have seen none in the Weston Creek area.

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