Wasps pest facts and information

Urban Shield Ltd
Pest Control Specialists for London & SE

Call:
0207 482 4952

WASPS

What are wasps?

Wasps are insects with two pairs of wings (unlike flies with just a single pair of wings). They have a constricted waist and an abdomen covered in yellow and black stripes.

In the UK the Common Wasp, Vespula vulgaris, typically nests either underground or in cavities in trees and buildings.

The Queen wasp will hibernate during the winter, making a nest in the spring in which to lay her eggs.
The Queen will feed the larvae on insects until they develop into worker wasps.
After 3-4 weeks, the workers will forage for food outside of the nest.
The Queen will continue to produce eggs which the workers will then tend to, with nests producing upwards of 20,000 wasps!

What problems do wasps cause?

Wasps become a particular problem in the summer months, when the workers begin to forage for sweet -based foodstuff with which to feed the reared young.
As a result wasps will often come into contact with man in urban environments and are known to become annoyed and ‘irritable’ if threatened, resulting in the wasp stinging.
Their threat is twofold. Firstly, they can contaminate foodstuffs they come into contact with; and secondly, they have a sting which at best is painful and at worst can cause a violent reaction to the sting resulting in several people a year dying.


	back to top

How are wasps controlled?

Wasps can be controlled by a combination of methods.
Wasps can be excluded from an area using insect fly screens.
Wasps can be trapped using a bait (See our recommended products for Wasp traps in the shop).
Wasp nests can be treated using specially labelled insecticidal dusts and sprays
See our recommended products controlling for Wasps in the online shop.

CONTROLLING WASPS CAN BE HAZARDOUS AND SHOULD ONLY BE UNDERTAKEN WITH GREAT CARE!


	back to top