Thread: Wasps

Originally Posted by 300wsm for life

Paper wasps or German wasp that is all through our bush?

okay the common wasp is the wasp more likely to be encountered in our native bush - german wasps can create huge nests with multiple queens and entrances one at Kaitaia was the size of a mini - common wasps normally one entrance and nest the size of a small football - I have done hundreds of nests mainly common wasps - Waikaremoana we had plaques of them - not uncommon to use Conservation Corp trainess 10 of them womble the motor camp spaced 3-5 metres apart and find 20-30 nests over 3 acres - okay control - paper wasps are really easy once you have found nest normally about the size of a small fist - spray with black flag or other good fly spray I do it in day time walk up spray but at night is safer they hurt - now the others DOC website has a good write up and has names of a number of products but for a single nest a good wasp powder such as carbyryl - I have just tossed in a spoonfull in day time by being quick - but a better way is at night - use piece of garden hose about 5 ft long bend about 10 inches over - put in about two teaspoons wasp powder with a funnel - walk up and blow powder into hole - done hunderds like that next day dead nest - dont bloody suck its blow ahhh - larger problems need bait stations and a product for that a good one is vespex - okay we used 5 ft garden stakes and a stiff paper coffee cup - staple cup to stake and put out at 20 -30 metre intervals - prefeed with tuna based cat food - use a good desert spoon full and next day if all gone double it -dont be tempted to put out heaps start small - well that is what we used follow instructions with vespex they may recommend a meat based cat food - prefeeding is key to a good kill - we prefeed for 4-5 days and then fifth day the vespex went out and normally only need that once - damn effective - we also used 1080 but of course you cant buy it - so in a nut shell it depends on the size of your problem - finding nests is a skill walk slowly looking for flight paths - one hint likely not far from water - they have to fly water to nest with wood they have chewed of to make nest and they cant fly water far -