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Fly spray is being recommended for anyone dealing with the nuisance of paper wasps at present.
Auckland Council senior ecological specialist Sarah Gibbs says it is to be expected that when the weather is warmer and drier, there are more paper wasps than usual.
“We’ve noticed higher than usual wasp activity in some parks, which may be attributable to the general warming trend of climate change, including another year of record-breaking average temperatures combined with a dry summer,” Gibbs says.
“If people find nests in their garden, they should wait until the wasps have settled in for the evening and then spray the nest with fly spray. Don’t shine a torch onto the nest as they will fly up to it (and the person holding it).”
While Vespex can be effective in the South Island, Gibbs says it doesn’t work as well in Auckland.
“This is thought to be because Auckland has higher biodiversity than the South Island, so wasps have more food choices. Therefore, it’s harder to get the wasps to eat the Vespex so it isn’t as effective.”
Mahurangi West resident Isabel Harris, who has a particular interest in butterflies, says paper wasps are much smaller than the black and yellow German wasp and common wasp.
She says the Asian paper wasp (black and yellow) was accidentally introduced to NZ around 1979 and the Australian paper wasp (brown/orange) has been here since the 1800s. Both have a painful sting and prey on insects and chew weatherboards. They are likely to be impacting on native and introduced invertebrate populations, especially monarch butterflies.
“Nests are commonly found in garden shrubs and small trees, flax plants, agapanthus, on wooden posts and fences,” Harris says. “The wasps will not ‘attack’ if not disturbed, unlike German wasps that will go for you if you are near their nest!”
Harris says that after spraying a nest with fly spray, you should go back the next day, check no wasps are still there, pull the nest down and crush it because any larvae inside will develop into adult wasps.
“German wasps are another story.
“They usually make their nests in the ground or up in the roof and eaves of sheds and other buildings. Nests in the ground can be dealt with using a wasp killer product at night when all the wasps are home. Use a red light (red cellophane over a torch will work) as the wasps can’t see red light so you can approach the nest and use a wasp killer product directly into the hole. If the nest is in a building you may need to get a specialist in to deal with it or get specialist advice. Don’t go near the nest during the day.”
Products to kill German wasps are available from hardware stores.
