Hi Elizabeth
1;- They don't sting unprovoked as far as I know but swishing at them to
try to make them go away may provoke them. I wouldn't go inside to have a
cuppa, just ignore them.
2;- I have found one nest by feeding them and searching in the direction
they flew with the feed. The nest was about 100m away. I found another nest
at the Kingston Railway Station by searching in the direction they flew from
a dripping tap adjacent to the platform. The nest was in the middle of the
lawn between the railway station and Wentworth Av. where a tree stump had
rotted out.
To locate a nest I would feed them fish (carp is good) or liver on a saucer
while I was having a cuppa or in a feeder (to protect it from maggies and
currawongs - described below) hung up out of reach of dogs and cats and
watch the direction they flew. Then leaflet about 10 houses to at least 100m
in that direction with European Wasp leaflets (available from the
Environment ACT shopfront in Macarthur House crnr Northborne Av x Macarthur
Av.) with my phone number and a note explaining what I was trying to do if
there were houses in that direction and wait for a response. OR knock on the
door(s) where they were flying and ask if they'd mind if I searched their
yard for wasps. Chances are they'd be a nuisance to them too and be happy to
have their yard searched and assist and put up a feeder too and help track
them.
If there were no houses, I would move the feeder 50m - 100m in the
direction they were flying
and watch again. The two directions should give a location to start
searching. I'd search by walking slowly in an ever increasing circle,
watching for wasps coming and going from a hole in the ground, tree, rock
wall, house wall, roof, thick shrub etc. If the nest is small there would
only be a few per minute, if large there would be a steady stream coming and
going.
nests on private property is the responsibility of the proprty owner. City
parks people will treat ones on public land.
FEEDER
Cut 3 or 4 slots near the bottom of (about2cm up) a 1 litre plastic soft
drink bottle big enough for wasps (about 5mm wide and 20mm high) to get in,
cut it off about half way to put the feed in and tape it or tie it together
through holes poked in the side. (You may be able to press it in without the
need for tape or string)
Regards
Peter
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