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European Wasps in Australia

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European Wasps Are Invading My Garden!

How these creatures came to be in Australia, and information on how to get rid of them.

They are competing with our native wasps and killing some of our insects, so we definitely would like to get rid of them.

There is also some information on what to do if you are stung by one of these insects.

Table of Contents

  1. Wasp Trap Powder
  2. European Wasps Can Be Dangerous
  3. Wasp Nests
  4. A Wasp Free Summer - So Far!
  5. Blessed by the Insect Angel
  6. I Spoke Too Soon - They're Here
  7. These Wasps Shouldn't Be Here!
  8. No Wasps So Far This Year
  9. Discovering The Pests In The Garden
  10. The Bottlebrush Tree The Wasps Love
  11. Now We're Trying A Wasp Trap
  12. They Seem To Be Multiplyng!
  13. Great Stuff on Amazon
  14. Guests' Comments

Wasp Trap Powder

On visiting the hardware store last week to get some wasp powder for the trap, we had an interesting discussion with the man working in the gardening area.

We had mentioned that our wasp trap seemed to be attracting more blowflies than wasps in the past summer and were wondering if they had another brand in stock. He said they didn't, and gave us a tip on how to make the trap more attractive to wasps.

His suggestion was to add a small portion of meat or cat food to the mix, as wasps are meat eaters, and would be more likely to come to such a food. He added "Don't leave it more than a few days, as it smells pretty bad then!"

We will definitely be using this tip this summer and will let you know how it works.

If you are wondering whether or not to add sugar or honey instead of meat to the trap, please don't, as this will only trap honey bees, and they are harmless creatures if left alone.

European Wasps Can Be Dangerous

European wasps (Vespula gemanica) can be very dangerous. If the nest is attacted, or accidentally damaged, the insects will swarm and attact the offending animal or person. The best way to escape this attack is getting inside or getting underwater. It is not unknown for death to result from multiple stings.

Anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock, can be caused by a sting from a European wasp; this can be fatal if treatment is not sought immediately. It can be much more severe in people and animals who have previously been stung by this insect, and are therefore more sensitive.

Symptoms

Skin burning or tingling, hives, nausea, diarrhoea,cramps, and breathing difficulties.

Breathing problems means less oxygen getting to the brain, and the person may become irrational. They may also experience panic attacks.

Blood pressure may also be affected, possibly causing unconsciousness.

Treatment

If, after being stung by a European wasp, or any other insect, the victim suffers from anaphylaxis, it is important to get them to a doctor or hospital as quickly as possible.

Basic first aid for someone stung by a wasp or bee is to wash the area and apply an ice pack. An antihistamine may be taken if necessary.

Wasp Nests

European wasps build their nests from wood pulp. They gather it, chew it, and then use it build the nest as in the photo. They can also build underground, often in sloping ground. Wasps have also built in attics, meter boxes, and many other inconvenient (for humans) places.

A Wasp Free Summer - So Far!

Well, the first month of our Southern Hemisphere Summer is almost over, and so far, there has been very little European wasp activity.

We've seen a couple of queen wasps looking for homes, in fact one of them came into the house - that was its downfall! Apart from that, there have been very few about, up to now, and we're hoping it will stay that way.

Although we've had the wasp trap up for a few weeks now, it doesn't seem to be catching many of them, and what we are mostly getting are blowflies. Not that I mind those being trapped and killed, but it seems strange that they are attracted to wasp bait.

Hopefully, the wasp shortage will continue throughout the summer this year, and maybe for next year as well......

Blessed by the Insect Angel

Thanks to the "Insect Angel" Vallain, for dropping by and blessing my European Wasp lens. I really do appreciate it.

Also blessed by Tipi, another Angel. Thanks Tipi!

I Spoke Too Soon - They're Here

Time to get the trap out again.

European WaspWell, it's been a good year for wasps so far, and it's the last month of summer. The past couple of weeks has been the only time I've sighted any European wasps in my garden. Mostly they've been coming for water, since I keep bowls in the back yard for my cat and the local birds.

Looks as if it is now time to get the wasp trap out again, if only we can remember where we put it. The garage really needs a clean out!

It will soon start to cool down, so the wasps will stop coming for the winter, hopefully.

These Wasps Shouldn't Be Here!

I don't like European and English wasps - they are almost the same, and as far as Australia is concerned, they are pests, which should never have come here. It's not really certain how they were introduced, but now we can't get rid of them.

You can read about them, and how to get rid of them at the MuseumVictoria wasp site.

Another site with some useful information is Sustainable Gardening Australia

These creatures can give a really nasty sting, so if you're allergic to ant and bee stings, stay well away from them. Unlike bees, they don't lose their sting after using it, so they can get you multiple times!

No Wasps So Far This Year

It's really great - so far this year, we haven't sighted any European wasps in our garden. Hopefully , it will stay that way, as it's almost mid-summer already.

The bottle-brushes which seemed to attract the wasps were pruned pretty severely last Autumn, and don't appear to be as appealing to the wasps this year. Or perhaps whoever had the nest in their garden finally dealt with them, and there are no more wasps living in the area. That would be great. I wouldn't care if I never saw a European wasp again.

Discovering The Pests In The Garden

For some years, there have been the occasional few wasps in my garden, and even in my house, mostly in Spring. I've even had to kill a queen wasp, who looked as if she was going to set up house near my chimney stack - not something I was really enamoured of, thats's for sure! I really hate these things, and although I don't like killing anything, these wasps get absolutely no mercy from me. After all, they aren't even native.

This weekend, my partner pointed out that the bottlebrush (Callistemon) tree in the front garden, was absolutely full of them, which made working nearby a little uncomfortable. There was no next in the tree, nor is the plant in flower, so all we can think of is that they were collecting pieces of bark for their nest, and found this type of tree to be very suitable. This morning, I discovered that the bottlebrush in the back garden is also infested with them.

The worst thing is, I can't do anything about it, as the nest is not on my property, and I haven't been able to see where it is. Hopefully, someone will discover it, and have the council destroy it.

The Bottlebrush Tree The Wasps Love

Callistemon, if you prefer......

Now We're Trying A Wasp Trap

Last weekend, we finally decided to try a wasp trap, because there are all too many of these insects in my garden, and to be honest, I'm scared of them. They sting! They also have bad tempers, and will chase you.

Anyway, we bought a wasp trap, and my partner put the packet of powder in some water, and hung the trap in a tree. It would take 24 hours for the powder to dissolve and become active.

Several days later, nothing had happened, so I took the packet of powder out of the trap to see what was happening. No wonder it didn't work - the packet wasn't soluble! All that needed to be done was to empty the powder into the water.

Two hours later, we had our first wasp, dead in the trap! Guess that means one should read the instructions a little more carefully. :-)

They Seem To Be Multiplyng!

Today is a warm day, with little wind, and there are hordes of those horrible insects in my bottlebrush trees! It makes working out there a bit unpleasant, because European wasps have a reputation for being vicious if annoyed, and will attack en masse on occasions.

Too bad my fishpond isn't big enough to jump in, if this happens, as apparently going under water is a great way to escape them. They can fly faster than I can run! Hopefully they will never feel like attacking me. Perhaps I'd better invest in a wasp trap, but that will only get a few, and there's a whole nest of them nearby somewhere.

Anyone got any suggestions?

Great Stuff on Amazon

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Guests' Comments

Anything to say about wasps?

  • inspirationz Apr 13, 2012 @ 12:02 pm | delete
    This is so interesting. I've just spent a while researching bee stings and wasp stings so it's interesting to hear about this other side of their existence.
  • Snakesmum Apr 14, 2012 @ 12:24 am | delete
    Thanks for visiting and glad you found the lens interesting!
  • Tipi Mar 24, 2012 @ 12:00 pm | delete
    Whew, what a difficult situation with this European Wasp infestation, I'm so sorry for you! Have you tried the protective type clothing that bee keepers use to help you be safe while you garden? I love honey bees and bumble bees but wasps have never been my friend.
  • Snakesmum Mar 24, 2012 @ 5:57 pm | delete
    This summer, there have been less wasps around, which is great! It is usually water, wood or meat that the wasps are looking for, so we really don't need protective clothing unless trying to kill a nest. None in my garden, thankfully!
    Thanks for visiting and blessing this lens. :-)
  • bercton Sep 23, 2011 @ 4:55 am | delete
    Very unique lens! Thanks for sharing!
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Snakesmum

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I'm a retired office administrator, and I share my house and garden with 1 cat and 4 pythons. There are also a number of goldfish, but it's a changeable... more »

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