See the difference between wasps and bees in the above photo – the bright yellow of the wasp with the muted colours of the bee. The bee has many more fine hairs on their bodies that they use to collect pollen on. Bees vary in colour from golden per the photo to a lot darker shades.

Wasps are an absolute pest. Whether its a small Asian paper wasp nest hanging from under a fence railing or roof eve, or a larger German wasp nest in a roof, wall or room, a trunk of a tree, roots of an agapanthus, or in a woodpile or hole in the ground… I’ve got rid of them from many places. Where possible I remove the nest, but as it is not always the easiest to get under roofs or in walls, I also poison them by blowing in commercial grade insecticide.

Wasps are scavengers as well as pollinators. They harvest nectar from flowers and honey from beehives but rather than pollen for their protein, they eat bees, caterpillars and other insects, meat and fish… They are a real nuisance for beekeepers as they can rob hives of honey and eat the bees, totally destroying bee hives. Every nest I destroy I love that I’m saving bees, and saving people from their nasty stings.

Rather than wax like a bee, their nests are made out of paper they make from trees and houses… I’ve seen them eating through pinex ceilings and walls.

The wasp I find most often is the German Wasp (Vespula Germanica). On its head it has a nose like line with two nostril like dots. On its back are a series of triangles with dots either side. Behind the eyes there is a solid yellow collar. The other similar wasp is the Common Wasp (Vespula Vulgaris) that has a anchor pattern on its head with wide bands on its back.

The Asian wasp has small pear shaped nests that are a lot more visible. They are a spindly looking wasp that I often see “sunbathing” and dancing around on fences.

Call now for prompt service

Phone Michael on m 021 728889 for prompt wasp nest removal/destruction service in the Whanganui area.