Thread: Wasps

Just did a sweep of the web, they look like European Paper Wasps. Not as bad as the European Wasp in the aggression and stinging stakes but they do sting and they spread.

Are in a lot of places in the US too and spreading.

They sound more docile than the standard Australian Paper Wasps though but more aggresive than their US cousins. Everytime I've been even close to a paper wasp nest (not the little black wasps) hanging off a house or something, they go off pretty easy and I've been stung quite a distance from the nest. Fortunately, it isn't too painful.

They could have been European Paper Wasps but they are largely confined to the Perth metro area. Good link to details about European Paper Wasps (with diagnostic photos) can be found here: PaDIL

Cheers
KarlB

LandyAn,dy
As one who'se job once included work on attempting to eradicate European Wasps in suburban Perth (pre retirement), I can tell you that yours were definitely not Euro Wasps, nasty buggers that they are.

As a way of identifiying, the European wasp is about the size of a honeybee, bigger that the native bees, and a bit brighter yellow than a bee.
It has totally black antenna and in flight, lifts its legs up close to the body. Other species usually fly with their legs hanging down a bit.

Mostly their nests are under ground or extremely well concealed.
The nests are usually quite large (football sized or bigger) and always very hard to locate except by following one returning to the nest.

As others have said, they can and do sting multiple times, are extremely aggressive and the sting is extremely painful.

Being stung around the mouth area can cause extreme swelling and result in breathing difficulties. Drink cans are a favourite target for the little monsters and young children are at extreme risk of swallowing them often with serious consequences.

Fortunately they are very limited in and around Perth, the majority of finds were in and around North Perth and only a few have been discovered in country WA.

Disco Denmark