Do you know the variety of Wasps you could encounter?
I am pretty sure that you won’t be surprised if I tell you that getting stung by a wasp really hurts. I know, it has happened to me. My wife still laughs when she tells the story of me running into the shed shouting and slamming the door behind me. But what type of wasps are you likely to encounter in Australia?
European Wasps
The most common species of wasp in Australia that people are stung by are European Wasps, or the similar English Wasps. They have a distinct yellow and black body and are roughly 1.5 centimetres long. They build a variety of nests, either inside or outside, but with the goal of finding dry shelter. The nest is often hard to find without stumbling across it or purposely searching for it.
Some places they nest can include holes in the ground, hollow trees, in your garage or wall cavities. A nest can contain thousands of wasps with one queen. They are mostly only ever active in the late spring and summer months. They can sting multiple times and trust me, it hurts and can get very itchy in the following days too. This is why wasp nest removal is mostly done by professionals.
Yellow Jacket Wasps
The yellow jacket wasp is also known as the social wasp. This type of wasp is only active in the day time and they tend to be more aggressive, especially on the hot days. They build their own nests in sheltered positions such as on balconies, under eaves, in trees and bushes or in garages too.
Like the European wasp, they sting multiple times, most often to protect their nest. They are an American species of wasp that should also be removed by a pest controller unless you don’t mind getting stung.
Paper Wasps
Another common type of wasp is the yellow paper wasp. This is a less aggressive variety of wasp that is fairly easy to identify. Firstly, they can hover, which most other wasps find difficult. They also build the honeycomb style nest that is easily recognisable. They don’t nest in the ground like European wasps.
The paper wasp is appreciated by organic farmers as they pollinate flowers and also eat caterpillars and other insect larvae. It is possible to share an area with paper wasps, but if you disturb them, they do sting, and it does hurt.
If you have a wasp nest problem and want it removed, then contact us at Patterson Pest Control. We can identify the wasp for you and remove it in a way that will prevent them from coming back. Our experienced team can also handle the removal of ‘bees’, ‘rodents’, ‘ants’, ‘bed bugs’, ’cockroaches’, ‘silverfish’, ‘fleas’, ‘flies’, ‘mosquitoes’, ‘possums’, and ‘spiders’ and any other pests you are having trouble with.
