Wasps are social winged insects with a narrow waist and a sting, they typically are yellow with black stripes. Wasps will constructs a paper nest from wood pulp and raises the larvae on a diet of insects. Wasps will usually only attack a person if they feel threatened. The problem is a social wasp in distress emits a pheromone that sends nearby colony members into a defensive, stinging frenzy.
Species of Wasps
Common Wasp Wasps are typically social insects with new nests constructed each year. 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 and lofts.
Identification: 10 – 20 mm long, distinctive black & yellow banding and a narrow waist in the middle.
European Hornet They are Europe’s largest wasp and nest mainly in hollow trees. Occasionally they can be found in buildings. European Hornets have larger, longer stings than other species of native wasps so inject more venom, causing far more pain. however, it has been reported that the venom is less toxic to us than other wasp species.
Identification: The adult European hornet worker is approximately 25 mm in length with yellow and brown colouration. Queens up to 35 mm. Hornets are part of the wasp family, and their life cycle is very much the same as wasps. Hornets are not as common, or as aggressive as other wasp species.
Median Wasp This large wasp arrived in England in the 1980s and is now quite widespread. It is a large wasp, quite dark in colour, some individuals are nearly black. The camouflaged football sized nests contain around 300 wasps and are much smaller that the common wasps nest and often concealed in dense vegetation and made from ribbons of wood pulp.
Identification: The Median Wasp is the largest wasp in the UK after the Hornet. Workers, 15-19mm long, distinctive black & yellow banding. The queen looks very much like a worker Hornet and is 18-22mm long.
Products to control Wasps:
Ficam D Ficam D powder is an excellent insecticide used to treat various crawling insects.
Eradisect Fly Killer Spray With rapid knockdown and good flushing properties, insects will no longer cause problems.
Vulcan Wasp Nest Killer Powder Formulated as a dust for the control of wasp nests and in voids or around electrical installations where liquid sprays may not be appropriate.
Eradisect Wasp Pot Kit The Wasp Pot is designed to attract and trap wasps once filled with wasp attractant.
Wasp Lure Wasp Lure is a ready to use powerful attractant for wasps.
WaspBane Wasp Trap The WaspBane trap is a low-maintenance, yet highly effective way of controlling wasp problems.
