Sufferers of painful wasp stings will be relieved to know numbers of the pest are down this summer due to Central’s late winter frosts.  

Cromwell-based Mountain View Cleaning and Pest Control director Steve Churchill said unlike last summer, there was a huge reduction in the calls about wasps they were currently getting.

In January 2024 the company was attending more than ten jobs per week for wasps in Central, Wānaka and Queenstown, and this January it is down to a couple a fortnight.

“The wasps are still around, we had a good cold snap of frosts during the end of winter this year and this will have reduced the colony survival rate.”

Mountain View Cleaning and Pest Control have dealt with a large german wasp nest in a tree on the way to Lindis Pass this summer. It was estimated to have 10,000 -15,000 wasps. 

Steve said 99 percent of jobs this summer were asian paper wasps with only a few jobs the more aggressive german wasps.

Identification of the wasp species was crucial as there were native wasps, which were not an issue, as well as honeybees and bumblebees which were important pollinators, along with five other introduced wasp species - these are the troublemakers.  

A common wasp with its black and yellow colouration; a widespread pest species has been here since the 1970s. PHOTO: Manaaki Whenua (Landcare Research) 

Steve said wasps “look nasty” whereas bees don’t.

“They have a more menacing and aggressive appearance…predominantly [they have] a bright yellow main body with either black stripes or black dots. 

“Conversely a honey bee has a much softer appearance, more of a light tan and furry texture. Honey bees tend to be in larger volumes where a wasp colony can be anywhere from 10 wasps to 300-400 for a large colony.

“The quickest way to get help these days is to google wasp or honey bee images.”

The pests are German and common wasps, and three species of paper wasps.

Steve said the German wasp is seriously nasty and will sting when disturbed. 

“They build their nests in schist banks, or in behind cavities in walls or garden edges.

The German wasp nest can get as big as a soccer ball and is usually grey in colour - a common wasp nest is brown.

A German wasp nest. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Introduced wasps are one of the most damaging insect pests in New Zealand. 

They harm insects in beech forests as they eat massive amounts of honeydew which is an important food for native birds, bats, lizards and insects. They can also kill newly hatched birds. 

Wasps are a nuisance for people: the venom from a sting can cause an allergic reaction for some as well as pain at the sting site.

A 2015 study estimated that introduced wasps cost New Zealand’s economy more than $130million a year, with impacts on farming, horticulture, bee keeping, health, wasp-related traffic accidents and unrealised honey production. 

The Department of Conservation (DOC) website has information on different approaches to wasp control, depending on the size and location of the problem.

Vespex is a meat-based protein bait that contains an insecticide (fipronil) targeted at wasps but is only effective at certain times of the year - usually late in summer - when wasps are eating protein. 

It was developed in conjunction with Nelson based company Merchento but to use it you need to become an approved user.

To investigate a possible nest near your home or in your garden, the best time is at dawn or dusk and you’ll need to follow the flight path to locate the nest. 

Then, after dark once the wasps have stopped flying in and out, you can use a store bought insecticide, often a powder, at the nest entrance. 

The worker wasps carry the substance into the nest and the colony usually dies within a day.

Advice is to leave the nest where it is, as if you attempt to remove or knock it down without adequate treatment a pheromone trail is left behind which attracts wasps back to the site, where they will begin to rebuild the nest.

The Asian paper wasp builds its nest from chewed up woody material, the nests range in size from that of a golf ball to a cricket ball. PHOTO: John Wattie/ Department of Conservation

If you suspect you have multiple wasp nests, seek the advice of a specialist pest management firm. They are capable of stinging multiple times if disturbed.  

To relieve a sting, the Ministry of Health recommends washing the area with soap and cold water, and applying an ice pack for 15 minutes to help relieve pain and swelling.

Topical creams, antihistamines and paracetamol can be useful in controlling pain, swelling and itchiness. Inflammation may also be managed with use of a hydrocortisone cream.

The National Poisons Centre is available anytime on 0800 764 766 for advice on first aid and treatment of stings.

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