What are wasps?
Wasps are social insects that live together in colonies and form self-contained communities. In each community there are three castes, namely queens, males and workers.
The only wasps that survive the winter are young fertilised queens. They emerge from hibernation in the spring and construct a new nest. This could be in a hole in the ground or inside a hollow tree. The queen lays 10-20 eggs initially and when they hatch into larvae she feeds them until they emerge as workers. At this stage, the queen wasp concentrates on egg laying and the new workers forage for food, feed the young and enlarge and defend the nest. By the end of the season nests may contain thousands of workers. In late summer, the colony produces males and new queens. They fly away and after mating the queens find a place to hibernate. The cold weather eventually kills the males, the workers and the foundation queen.
Two species of wasp are found locally - ‘common wasps’ and ‘German wasps’ - and are best known for their sting. While they have some beneficial characteristics, e.g. controlling other insect pests and clearing dead insect carcases, their significant nuisance value means they may need to be controlled.
Where can they be found?
These insects are common throughout Europe. Their nests can normally be found in holes in the ground or inside hollow trees. Unfortunately, wasps feel equally at home in your garden shed and the cavity walls, eaves or roof space of your house.
What do they eat?
All wasps feed their young on meat (insect larvae, scraps of carrion etc.). The wings of the prey are cut off by the workers powerful mouthparts and the remains are divided up and chewed into round food balls which are carried home to the larvae. The workers themselves (these are females with underdeveloped reproductive organs) feed on liquid food.
Although wasps are fond of sweet things, they don't have the nectar sucking mouth parts of bees, but they do have very powerful jaws and a short tongue. Even so they can be seen drinking nectar from flowers and the juices of ripe fruit (Common wasps will also attempt to invade honey bee nests to steal their honey) and curiously enough they are also fed by the larvae. In exchange for fly flesh the larvae regurgitate a sugary liquid which the workers eagerly lick up.
In addition to providing the workers with a form of energy this mutual feeding also has a social function, for it serves to bind the colony together.
Towards the end of the summer, when the larvae have reached maturity, the workers turn their attention to fruit, jam and other sweet substances and this is when they become a nuisance.
Are wasps harmful?
The main thing that worries people about wasps is their sting. A wasp uses its sting for killing prey, but it can also use it very effectively for defending itself. The sting has associated glands which produce venom. A sting can be very painful,but is normally not dangerous, as the amount of venom injected is very small. In some cases, however, people do become ill after being stung. In very extreme cases people suffer ‘anaphylactic shock’ which can prove fatal.
A sting in the mouth or on the neck can be serious, as the ‘mucus epithelium’ may become very swollen, making it difficult for the victim to breathe. An ordinary uncomplicated sting can be treated with ammonia or alcohol or cold poultices, followed by an antihistamine ointment. If the victim becomes pale and feels unwell with giddiness and nausea it is advisable to seek medical advice immediately.
Unlike bees, wasps are able to sting repeatedly. The venom of the wasp contains a pheromone which acts as an alarm causing other wasps to become more aggressive when a wasp has stung something or has been killed. So it is a bad idea to swat a wasp near its nest site or to attempt to remove the nest yourself.
How to get rid of wasps
Individual wasps entering a dwelling can be dealt with by using a flying insect spray. However, dealing with a nest is a more difficult issue and while a number of products are available on the market you must consider the risk of being stung and also difficulties that may be encountered in accessing the nest.
It is, therefore, recommended that you get an experienced person, such as a Pest Control Officer, to treat the nest.
Contact us on 0800 849 7004 for a free quote on Wasp Nest Removal
