Size: 18mm
Colour: Dark brown-yellow
Information
Although 11 species of true wasp are found in Europe only two, the Common Wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and the German Wasp (Vespula Germanica) are important as pest species. Only the queen of either species survive throughout the winter. The common wasp usually hibernating in buildings and the German wasp typically survives the winter sheltering under the bark of trees. For information sake, both species will be taken as the common wasp.
In spring the queens leave their hibernating quarters to seek nesting sites which could be in a hole in the ground, a hollow tree or artificial structures such as eaves, lofts, attics or garden sheds. The queen starts to build her nest with a papery material that she makes by chewing small pieces of wood mixed with saliva, this is known as Wasp paper. She will raise the first few workers by herself and those workers will then continue to build the nest and care for the immature Wasps to follow. Nest construction starts in earnest in June and will reach its maximum size in September, when 5-10,000 workers may be present. These workers will forage for food up to 400 metres from the nest. The size of wasp colonies will vary from year to year, the severity of the previous winter is probably the key factor. In the Autumn the young queens mate and leave the nest to hibernate, the rest of the nest dies out and the nest is never used again.
The pain of the wasp sting is caused by a toxic fluid containing a complex protein, which is injected through the needle like sting as it penetrates the victim. Individuals react differently to being stung, some are hardly affected, others suffer considerable pain and swelling and a few others become seriously allergic to being stung, which in some cases, results in sudden death due to anaphylactic shock.
Control
A professional wasp control treatment will be based on destroying the nest. Finding the nest is not always easy but following the flight pattern from a source of food could prove helpful. If a householder decides to treat the nest themselves, treatment should be carried out early or late in the day when wasp activity is at a maximum.
Precautions
Whenever insecticides are used, read and follow the instructions on the label carefully.
