Types of wasps in Melbourne

European wasp control in Melbourne is on the rise, because more and more people are realising that a professional is able to deal with the serious issue much more effectively than your everyday Joe.

The cost of wasp removal in Melbourne varies because of the unique nature of individual wasp nests and infestations.

Some jobs may be relatively simple and require minimal materials and time to deal with.

However:

Other nests, such as ‘super nests’, may require more work, time and materials to properly address the threat.

The cost of the job always reflects the importance of the job, so you can rest assured that your investment in a safe household is worth it. We are the go to for wasp nest removal, Northern and Eastern Suburbs, Melbourne.

There are many species of wasps to be found in Australia; over 12,000, in fact! The ones which often cause trouble are European wasps; however yellow jacket wasps and paper wasps can also present problems.

European wasps are the instantly recognisable wasps that we all know and don’t love, with the bright yellow abdomen with black strips and triangles, and two pairs of wings.

They are the wasps that call for the most wasp pest control in Melbourne. Colonies start to emerge in spring when a single queen lays eggs that then develop into worker wasps.

The warmer climate of Australia, compared to the European wasps’ traditional cool climates, mean that the queen may start to lay eggs earlier and that worker wasps can survive the winter. Because of this, about 10 per cent of nests survive the colder months, meaning the wasps don’t have to start from scratch! This means bigger population numbers.

Add to this the fact:

As an introduced species, the European wasp has no natural predators in Australia.

Trademark mud nests do not belong to European wasps.

Believe it or not, about four out of five European wasp nests are underground.

If you see a European wasp, that means there is a nest within 500 metres of you, because this is as far as they tend to stray from their nest in search of food. Yellow jacket wasps like to set up under shelters, which often coincides with living areas. These might include under the eaves, under the veranda, or even in the dog’s kennel.

Paper wasps are less aggressive than other wasps

They stand out from the rest because of their ability to hover and due to their distinctive honeycomb nests.

They are also longer and thinner in shape, with orange coloured antennae. Although they are less aggressive, they can still present a danger if they are disturbed. Sometimes, if they set up close to living areas, this is hard to avoid.

Hornet Or Wasp:

There is a lot of confusion surrounding the difference between hornets and wasps. ‘Hornet’ is often loosely used to refer to any sizeable wasp that has a black and orange colour. However, there are technically no hornets in Australia. The most similar breed in Australia are potter wasps.

Potter Wasps

Potter wasps live in solitary and therefore present less of a threat that other types of wasps that are found together in large, difficult to manage groups. Don’t try to pat them, though! It is hard to identify wasps without the proper training and experience, and yet knowing what type of wasp you are dealing with will influence the best way to deal with the wasp problem.

Wasp Behaviour

Wasps do not tend to return to the same nest the next year, however there are exceptions.

As mentioned above, sometimes a wasp nest will survive the winter and therefore it will stay as an operating nest and not go away as the year passes.

Alternatively:

If the queen wasp, who directs the hive, is very happy with the location of the nest then it may create a new nest in the same location.

This can happen if there is infrastructure that suits the wasp well, such as a crack in a wall.

Wasps are seasonal. Around winter time, the worker wasps start to die, and the queen hibernates to build a new nest. This usually starts around springtime. As Autumn approaches, the worker wasps prepare for the next generation of wasps by ensuring the nests are equipped for them to grow.

Potter Wasps