Wasp Problems

The wasp or yellow jacket is one of the most pests we get called about. With a sting and one end, that can give multiple painful stings it should be respected as it can be very aggressive. It has a very complex social structure and is highly evolved. Early summer they are not readily a nu-sense as they are concentrating on harvesting insects to bring back to the nest to feed their grubs.

Biology

The queen wasp is the only one to survive the winter (unlike Honey Bees who overwinter). She will emerge in early spring and start building her nest from chewed up wood pulp. Laying eggs in comb like chambers, once the eggs hatch in to grubs she will feed them on insects. With in four weeks they will have developed in to workers that are all females. The cycle will continue to mid July expanding the colony to in excess of 30,000 wasps.

The workers that have spent the summer collecting high protein food to feed to the grubs. These include aphids and other insects as well as carrion and meat. In return the worker wasps get a sweet high energy liquid from the grubs called Chitin. This is a compound made from densely packed and tightly bound sugars. Now that this food source has finished the wasps go in search of sweet foods to satisfy their needs. It is no coincidence that this is timed with the ripening of sweet fruit in late summer.

This when they become their greatest hazard to humans and Honey bee colonies. That’s why late summer BBQ’s attract wasps, lots of sweet foods and drinks are abundant.

Got A Wasp Nest?

If you have discovered a wasp nest, keep away from it.

They make them in the most unusual places, lofts, sheds, outbuilding, underground, bird boxes etc.

• If it is early summer they will be concentrating on feeding the grubs, if after mid July they cam be more aggressive.
• Call BTP on 01525 863 951 who can treat it, with out exciting them.
• We have a number of compounds to use, also access equipment for high awkward places.
• You get a guarantee we will destroy it, and  free repeats if we don’t get them first time.

Wasps a nuisance outside?

Control them with our high efficiency wasp traps!

Great for the patio, BBQ or pub garden.