Aggressive Neighbours: Why You Don't Want to Share Your Property With European Wasps

5 October 2022
 Categories: , Blog

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If insects typically live outside, it's generally a safe bet that they won't be a problem for you. Generally, but not always. European wasps technically live outside, but the fact that they live in extremely close proximity to your home, in conjunction with their potentially aggressive nature, means that these winged menaces need to be dealt with as soon as they're noticed.

A Lot of Wasps  

It's estimated that there are more than 12,000 different species of wasps in Australia. Although they all have the capacity to sting, many of them are fairly docile and don't actively attack. It's a different story from the European wasp.

Recent Visitors

The European wasp is a fairly recent visitor to Australian shores and was only first detected back in 1959. In the intervening decades, it has become widespread, and somewhat destructive to the Australian ecosystem, as it competes for food with native species. 

Your Home

These wasps prefer to make their (often large) nests in outdoor spaces that have some protection from the elements. Unfortunately, the eaves of a residential home match this description, and this are where you're most likely to have a wasp infestation.

Opportunistic Visitors

European wasps don't tend to make their way indoors but may do so opportunistically, such as if there's a small hole or crack in your home's cladding that allows access. The colony could then expand inside your walls, but your walls should contain them—and they're unlikely to make their way inside unless there's an entry point for them (such as a hole in your plaster).

Territorial and Aggressive

Since being bothered by European wasps inside your home is improbable, and the colony should remain safely outdoors, do you need to take any action? In the interests of your safety, and that of your family (including any pets)—yes, you do. These wasps are extremely territorial and will respond aggressively to any threat to their colony, and they may regard any person passing by to be a threat. The nest will need to be removed.

Professional Nest Removal

To prevent the colony from swarming during removal, you'll need professional pest management services to eliminate the nest. The structure will be sprayed with an insecticide that neutralises the wasps while they're still inside, making it difficult for them to mount an aggressive defence. Eggs and larvae will also be eliminated. You'll be advised to wait several days to allow the insecticide to fully permeate the colony, and then the nest can safely be removed (you can often safely do this part yourself). For larger nests, the pest management company may return to handle removal themselves.

Allowing a colony of aggressive, territorial European wasps to flourish just outside your home is a risky proposition. Any nest should be decisively removed before it has a chance to grow too much.

For more information, contact a company like Morison Pest Management.