Wasps

Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) are beneficial garden insects, collecting insects and larvae etc. to feed to developing wasp larvae in the nest during the summer months. Worker wasps will feed on a variety of foods including fruits such as apples, pears and plums. They collect wood to construct nests and may damage the wooden fences and garden furniture in the process.

By the end of the summer, the queen wasp stops laying eggs and the workers no longer need to collect food for the young in the nest and so they become free to search for sweet things such as cakes or sweets thus becoming a nuisance.  More importantly however is their ability to cause painful stings.

People’s reactions to wasp stings can vary considerably from intense pain and swelling round the area of the sting, to a severe allergic reaction (known as anaphylactic shock) which can be life threatening.

How do they live?

The queen wasp lays eggs in the nest and hatch into larvae within a few days. Four to six weeks after the eggs are laid the first generation of workers emerge. These are female wasps, which are smaller than the queens and take over responsibility for maintaining the nest and finding food; in particular high protein foodstuffs for the larvae such as flies, caterpillars, or spiders. 

The queen then devotes all her time to laying eggs and by the end of the summer the nest may contain 20,000 or more wasps. In the autumn the new queens and males produced from the nest mate and the fertilised queens search for hibernation sites. With the onset of winter weather the nests die out and are never reused

Can I treat them?

Treating wasps nest can be very dangerous. If you do try to treat wasp nests yourself wear beekeeper type protective clothing to prevent being stung.

Nests can be found by looking for signs of wasp activity on fine days. You can find the position of the nest by looking for foraging wasps flying either towards or away from a nest.

Nests should only be treated with insecticides when activity around the nest is quiet, ideally in the late evening before dusk.

You can obtain puffer packs from garden centres and hardware stores. You should apply insecticide powder around and into the entrance of the nest to ensure that workers returning to the nest become contaminated and carry the insecticide into the nest. Control is usually achieved within a few hours. 

Please read the label and follow the instructions on any insecticide you use and look specifically for any additional measures you may need to take in respect of children and animals.

Can I get them treated?

Cheshire East Council provides a service for controlling wasps in domestic properties for a competitive charge. For details of this service and the costs involved please refer to our pest control home page.

Fully trained Pest Control Technicians will look at the infestation, and draw up a treatment programme in the most appropriate locations. If you need our help, please use our contact details above to get in touch.

Insect Drawings © Bayer 1964