Certainly sounds like European Wasps, and they are
around Wagga etc. The folks at Gelatissimo (including customers - job for the
kids!) should be trying very hard to track them to their nest and arranging for
its eradication (not a job for amatuers). Attached are a couple of
brochures sent to me last year by our local expert, Philip Spradbery (I assume
still contactable at m("netspeed.com.au","sprad");
CTRL + Click to follow link"
href=""> ). We
had huge numbers around this time last year (including constant
streams of them coming to our birdbath for the water they need to soften
the soil for their underground nests) , but almost none this year because the
nests were found and eradicated.
Barbara
From:
Sent: Tuesday, February 16, 2010 4:21 PM
Subject: RE: [canberrabirds] Bees or Wasps?
John,
They sound very much
like European Wasps to me. I?m not sure just how far they have spread in NSW but
given that they are common in the ACT ? even in Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve ? I
wouldn?t be surprised if they have made it out there. To me they are generally
the same size as a Honey Bee but slimmer and much more brightly marked in yellow
and black and a lot faster flying. They love anything
sweet.
Mark
From: John Layton
[
Sent: Tuesday, 16 February 2010 2:38
PM
To: Canberra
Birds
Subject: [canberrabirds]
Bees or Wasps?
Dropped into Gelatissimo on Baylis Street Wagga Wagga
where they serve the best gelato in the world. Roma, eat ya heart out! A sign in
the store read, Please beware of the bees
flying around. According to the manager the store is under siege by
tiny black and yellow insects that ?pack a painful punch?, but she added that
nobody had been stung. A local beekeeper told her ?not to kill the bees because
it will attract more.? Not much to go on but, given the circumstances ? the
insects appear to be attracted to the sweet fare, I wonder if they?re bees or
wasps. I asked Ms. Gelato to catch one in a jar so I could take it for
identification but she would not oblige, had no
jars.
John K.
Layton.
|
European Wasp Brochure.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document
European Wasp Fact Sheet.PDF
Description: Adobe PDF document
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