Increased wasp activity sends people indoors

Few things spoil an autumn barbecue or outdoor meal like being pestered by wasps.

From anecdotal reports, this year seems to be a bit worse than normal in the local area with people having to head indoors to avoid the pests while preparing meals or eating in the back yard or at outdoor cafes and restaurants.

Warragul pest controller Steve Carey said the wasp season extended from about mid-March until the end of this month.

Their stings are painful, can lead to swelling for several days and in some cases cause severe allergic reactions.

If the wasps are on food or in drinks and get into a person’s mouth or throat swelling can block the airways, usually requiring hospital treatment.

So far this year nobody has reported to the West Gippsland Hospital with wasp stings.

Pets can also be attacked mainly when wasps are on food left outside for the animals.

According to a Museum Victoria entomologist Patrick Honan wasps had been much more active during the past two autumns than in previous years with milder winters and summers leading to fewer wasps dying.

Mr Carey said the smell of food could attract wasps from their nests up to 500 metres away.

Fruit, especially when it has fallen from trees and left lying on the ground, is another prime target for the pests.

Mr Carey said he has found nests in many locations but most commonly in holes in the eaves of houses, retaining walls and in the ground.

An insecticide dust pumped into the holes kills the wasps.

The Museum’s Mr Honan said a normal wasp nest contains about 30,000 workers but there have been some with up to 100,000.