Wasps
Wasps are social insects with new nests constructed each year after the Queen comes out of hibernation. We have a variety of wasps in the UK from including the common, German and paper wasps. The Germans tend to be the more aggressive of all species. The Queens, which are larger than the workers, overwinter in harbourages in buildings, under loose bark or even in old nests. The wasp is commonly found in gardens and around the home and will build their nests in trees, bushes, holes in the ground, sheds, lofts, pretty much anywhere the queen feels is a safe and productive place to raise her nest. They are amazing pest controllers as prey on pest insects, so will do the same job as a spider by helping to keep the insect population down.
Identification:
10 – 20 mm long, distinctive black & yellow banding and a narrow waist in the middle. Less fuzzy than bees
Biology:
A young, fertilised queen wasp will choose a suitable site to construct a small golf ball sized nest after emerging from hibernation in early spring. The nest is made from a mixture of chewed wood and saliva. Within the nest are individual chambers, around a dozen or so to begin with, where she will lay between 10 and 20 eggs, feeding the emerging larvae on small insects that she has foraged. The first brood of adult workers called sterile females takes over the task of enlarging the nest and providing food for the subsequent eggs that are laid by the queen. This process will continue throughout the season. The size of wasp colonies will vary from year to year, but at its maximum nests may contain between 5 – 10,000 wasps. At the onset of autumn, the Queen will lay some males and new Queens and these new males will fertilise the queens, who then leave the nest in search of hibernation sites over winter to start new colonies the following spring. The Queen will then die and the nest will eventually perish.
Control:
Nests can be located by searching likely sites on fine days for signs of wasp activity. Flight lines of foraging wasps converging towards or diverging away from nests may be observed in order to pin-point the nests. Ideally nests should only be treated with insecticides when activity around the nest is quiet. When treating the nest, you should wear suitable protective clothing including a veil, gloves and tight-fitting sleeves and trouser cuffs to protect your from the painful stings wasps inflict and as it could be multiple attacks precautions should always be taken. Other people and onlookers should be kept away. Wasp’s nests are best treated treated using an insecticide dust, which is applied on to or around the entrance of the nest, this ensures returning workers will then carry the insecticide further into the nest assisting in taking out the Queen and any wasps residing inside. There will be increased activity around the nest entrance for at least 1 hour or so after treatment so people should keep away until such time the activity has ceased. The nest will normally be destroyed within 24 hours. Faster acting treatment involving soaking the nest may also be possible using a liquid formulation or aerosol formulation.
Products to control Common Wasp:
