When we were young, very young, the only flying, stinging insect we had to be afraid of (apart from the odd mosquito) was the bee.
But the bee provided honey for our toast and crumpets, and we readily put up with the sting. Especially was this so, because we knew that the honey bee, once tormented enough to attack a human being, left its sting in the victim, and went away to die. (The fate of the victim, of course, depended on its susceptibility to bee stings.)
Neither of these features is true of that menace, the European wasp (vespula germanica).
Whereas the bee which is responsible for the most honey has been in Australia since the nineteenth century, the first European wasp was found in Tasmania in 1959, and came to the mainland in the 1970s. It probably came with cargo or freight, and became established first on the east coast, including Victoria.
The wasp has spread its wings, even being found to have crossed the Nullarbor and to be appearing occasionally in Western Australia. (Does the former Premier know about this breach of the Covid regulations?)
What is the prey of the wasps? Insects, mainly, and that includes honey bee hives. In some cases, they can consume a whole hive.
Particularly in Victoria and Tasmania, beekeepers must take care where wasp populations are high enough to affect the health, production, and overall survival of their hives through the winter.
It is winter time now and, after a long period of building up the population through spring, summer, and into autumn, the original wasp queen dies. Usually new queens disperse to find suitable over-wintering sites, before starting a new nest in spring.
In winter, there have been many cases of people, unsuspectingly, bringing in a log for the fire. In the house they find out that thay haven’t just brought in a log, but also a wasp queen hibernating. In that event, the best plan is to kill the queen, saving yourself a sting and beekeepers another hive pest next season!
Since we have had three successive years with above average rainfall periods (“La Ninas”), it is not simply beekeepers who are noticing the European wasps. With the amount of water, soil moisture, and vegetation, there is an abundance of insects,which are ideal as prey for European wasps.
How do you recognise European wasps? Their colour might be a little confusing. The bright yellow and black coloration is very distinctive though, and they have bright yellow legs. If they go to the flowers seeking pollen, they are more likely to be honey bees than wasps. The wasps love any sweet food, so make sure you don’t have that barbecue dessert outside.
And, above all, remember that they are very aggressive. So if you find a nest underground, or in cavities of logs, trees, or man-made structures, don’t attempt to remove it yourself. A professional removalist, who will spray the wasps, is much safer; but just remember, the wasps are likely to follow you inside or into the car. We know, from bitter experience.
This article appeared in The Buloke Times, 11 August 2023.
