Wasp wipeout

[Grant]

I read that honey company Comvita has joined efforts to cull the numbers of wasps across the country.

Introduced German and common wasps are a damaging pest, invading beehives and eating insects - reducing the amount of food for native birds.

A Department of Conservation programme, Wasp Wipeout, raises funds for bait stations used to control populations.

I wondered if anyone else had joined or saw value in the campaign?

 

[yesbut]

I'm looking forward to the day they sort out a lure for the paper wasp fraternity

 

[Grant]

I'm looking forward to the day they sort out a lure for the paper wasp fraternity

You sound like you want to go fishing for the little blighters 🤣

 

[Mummzie]

Lure, Bait, I don't care what it's called as long as something can get the beep-beeping things.
Due to paperwasps, we no longer are able to raise Monarch butterflies. I have managed 2 this year, and I had to keep them indoors, cutting food for them daily.
Yes, white butterfly grubs no longer decimate the brassicas, but thats the only positive.

 

[John B]

I went out to a friend's farm yesterday to deal with a wasp nest and ended up finding six and I'm sure I didn't get all of them. Generally I haven't seen a lot this year but this place was just crawling. Got a nice video of wasps swarming over willow honeydew and I would post it if I had the slightest clue of how to do so, which I don't.
There is no doubt that they have a severe impact on our native insects and insect eaters.
Wasps are similar to corporate beekeepers. They are everywhere and as often as not right on top of my hives.

 

[southbee]

Did the same a couple of weeks ago on a friends farm, he found some nests and we dealt to them, some more the next day. His place was also crawling with them, literally, but in most of our sites this year it's not that bad. Still, I got my vespex licence finally, just waiting for the bait/traps to arrive.