TAMS are warning that it’s the time of year to keep your eye out for European Wasp nests:
The ACT Government is asking local residents to be on the look-out for European wasps and to report nests around their homes as soon as possible.
“Residents should watch for wasps flying in and out of walls in the house or from holes in the groundnear their homes, as this is a sign European wasps are nesting,” Dr Philip Spradbery, wasp expert with Territory and Municipal Services, said today.
“Wall cavities and roof spaces are a popular place for wasps to establish their nests and they can damage interior walls and even excavate their way through plasterboard.
“Wasps spend the winter months in deep hibernation, but with the recent warmer weather European wasp queens are now searching for nesting sites and building their embryonic nests. The nest site is generally well hidden underground or in housing structures like roof spaces and wall cavities. Any gap or hole in a building, such as between bricks or outer cladding, can be exploited by the queen.
“At first the queen builds a nest about the size of a golf ball with a small comb containing 20 to 30 worker wasp larvae. Once the workers are reared to adults the queen can remain safely in the nest to produce more offspring. By Christmas, nests of the European wasp can be the size of a soccer ball containing hundreds of adult wasps.
There’s a wasp hotline to call on 6162 1914.
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