A few wasps in the house – Should you be concerned?
Most Aussies know that during the Summer months it’s not unusual to see a few wasps hanging about. In fact, a surefire invitation is when the BBQ is fired up and the kids are running about sipping on sweet fizzy drinks. Wasps are renown for being attracted to these types of food sources. For most of us, when we sight a wasp we either squeal, start swatting or take the more sensible approach and head inside. We don’t generally give the wasps another thought…
But, how do we know when a few wasps sightings are a sign of a much larger problem?
A Hawthorn resident thought her daughter was going absolutely crazy when she repeatedly reported seeing a few wasps in her bedroom. The mother had not seen them, but her daughter’s incessant claims led her to call PestAway to investigate the problem.
A few wasps in the bedroom is not generally a normal occurrence so it rings alarm bells that the daughter’s claims are worth investigating. In fact, as soon as you notice something this peculiar, you should call a professional pest controller.
The concern is that there may be a wasp nest close by. Wasps nests can house thousands of wasps. The fact that nests are generally hidden from view means that they can grow to a measurable size free from disturbance. The actual growth of the nest is highly dependent food availability and the material to build it. In this particular case, the wasps had a steady supply of out sourced food and the roof cavity provided plenty of nest building materials.
By understanding the nature and activity of wasps, PestAway’s professional pest control technician, Michael Visciglio uncovered a giant nest in the roof void. It was wrapped around the insulation ‘over and over again’. The nest tracked all the way back into the corner of the roof.
As wasps live and breath for the queen, they can get aggressive when the nest is disturbed. In this instance, the wasps were treated with a naturally derived pesticide that is synthesised and blended with talcum powder. The pesticide was puffed and dusted into the confined cavity space where it spread amongst the nest. This causes the wasps to be on high alert. They instinctively re-enter the nest covered in dust, hence spreading it amongst the rest and killing them off. At this point, the nest was safely removed.
Wasp nests resemble paper mâché and are made of regurgitated material of anything from wood to cardboard, insulation bats, or anything that may be processed and regurgitated into a form that is easily manipulated and built into a solid fortress. Wasps are extremely resourceful!
In general, wasps don’t travel too far from the nest in search of food. They may fly as little as 100 meters and in rare instances can be seen 1km away.
So next time when you see a few wasps hanging about, you may be intrigued to wonder where their nest is? As for the daughter who claimed she saw a few wasps in this particular case, well let’s just say she certainly did!
Michael Visciglio is one of many experienced and knowledgeable pest control technicians at PestAway. PestAway offers a reliable and affordable service with long term results and friendly advice.