| The
facts
That allowing any type of insect or rodent within your premises
or home will obviously be a nuisance and in some cases serious
illness, loss of business and in extreme circumstances,
legal and civil prosecution. Although similar in size to
bees, wasps are distinctive in their appearance because
of their narrow waist and bright yellow and black banding.
Wasps have two pairs of interlocking wings. Depending upon
their species they are usually 1 - 2cm in length, the most
common being the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and the
German wasp (Vespula germanica). Wasps are aggressive when
disturbed or frightened and it is not advisable to try to
treat nests or infestations yourself.
Where do Wasps live?
Wasps live in nests that are typically found in roof spaces,
air bricks, cavity walls, garden sheds, trees and even in
rockeries and flowerbeds. The nest is usually constructed
from chewed bark and dried timber mixed with saliva and
is a light gray/beige colour with a papery appearance. If
undisturbed and built in an unrestricted space, the nest
can measure up to 90 - 120cm in circumference towards the
end of the summer months. A nest this size would contain
between 5,000 - 10,000 individual wasps. Nests can be found
in late spring / early summer.
Why keep Wasps under control?
If you have a live nest that is not bothering you, then
it is not essential to destroy it. However, nests can cause
problems for your neighbours, so bear this in mind when
deciding what to do. Wasps are very aggressive when disturbed
and will sting. This is painful and may cause redness and/or
swelling but a sting is not normally serious, unless you
are stung around the face, mouth, throat or tongue or suffer
an allergic reaction to stings (known as anaphylactic shock).
In these cases you should get immediate medical attention,
as severe anaphylactic shock can be fatal. When wasps, are
busy gathering woody material for nest-building, they sometimes
chew and damage the timbers of fences and buildings, and
strip the bark of trees causing die-back of branches and
young shoots.
Prevention & Control
Wasps nests inside buildings and garden sheds, or close
to well used entrances and walk-ways, may become especially
troublesome. Eventually, these nests may have to be destroyed
because of the nuisance and risk they cause to people living
or passing nearby. They can be discouraged from chewing
the wood of fences and buildings by a fresh coat of paint
or wood preservative, but damage to trees is more difficult
to prevent and, again, often the only solution is to locate
and destroy the nest. However, unless you are experienced
in dealing with wasps, never attempt to destroy a colony
yourself. If you find a nest, keep well away. There can
be several thousand workers in a fully-formed colony and
all of them can sting! It is far more sensible, and safer,
to call in an expert.
Treatment
Contact Paramite Pest Solutions
if you suspect you may have a problem and we can advise
you on the best course of action. A visit by our pest control
officer can be arranged. He will carry out a survey and
may suggest the best action is to destroy it. Paramite Pest
Solutions will take all possible precautions in the removeal
of the nest.
Revisits will be made until the problem is cleared. |
