WASP/BEE CONTROL

Wasps can be broadly classified under two categories – solitary and social. As the name suggests, the social wasps live in small colonies with queens and males while solitary wasps live alone and lay their eggs next to a food source. Some wasps are predatory/parasitic while others play an important role in pollination. The most common wasp that people encounter in Perth is the paper wasp. The European wasp is also occasionally sited and these need to be removed immediately. The Department of Agriculture and Food will come in and remove them free of charge. There are over 12,000 different species of wasps present in Australia with some being aggressive in nature. The length can range from barely visible to the naked eye to a few centimetres in length. Wasps are generally slender compared to bees and are less hairy. They have two pairs of wings with the hind wings generally being shorter and smallish antennae.

The solitary wasps, as mentioned, lay their eggs on, in, or near a food source, and often on another insect or its eggs. Once the wasp hatches it starts to attack the insect or its eggs. Once the adult wasp lays its eggs, it has nothing else to do with raising the wasps.

Social wasps tend to have a nest which looks like an inverted code with one queen and workers, eggs are layed in cells of the nest (not too dissimilar to the cells of a bee hive). As a general rule paper wasps are actually beneficial to have in the garden, as they feed on nectar (and thus pollinate plants) and also feed their larvae.

Wasps can build nests outdoors under eaves or, if they can gain access, can find sheltered areas inside your home such as wall cavities, roof spaces and attics. If a nest is discovered don’t attempt to get rid of it yourself. Call a professional pest control supplier.