The Pest Advice

Kiwicare’s New NO Wasps Eliminator

NO Wasps Insecticidal Dust was a powder containing the active carbaryl for application to wasp nests and nest entrances. It was picked up by wasps entering the nest and passed within the nest to control the entire colony.
New Product
NO Wasps Eliminator is a new formulation to replace NO Wasps Wasp Dust for control of wasps and wasp nests. It contains 2 active ingredients:

• Permethrin – 24g/kg this is a higher level than other wasp control products.
• Contact insecticide – long lasting
• Diatomaceous Earth (DE) – very low density (light), high surface area powder.
• DE is a contact physical action insecticide
• DE also acts as carrier for permethrin and has insecticidal properties
• DE is easily picked up on the feet and body of wasps. More insecticide is then carried into the nest giving better control
• DE adheres well to vertical surfaces such as walls below nest entrances in eaves.
• The new product is supplied in the same puffer pack as the NO Wasps Insecticidal Dust but it is 60 g rather than the 100 g of Insecticidal Dust. Because of the much lower density of the DE the 60 g fills the puffer pack to a higher level than the Insecticidal Dust did, giving the user more product.

The result of this combination of actives is rapid uptake of Eliminator into nest and full nest control.

Application
The rate of application of the new NO Wasps Eliminator is the approx. the same as was the case with NO Wasps Insecticidal Dust; 5-6 sharp puffs into nest entrance. Ensure powder is applied into nest or to where wasps land at the entrance.

Wasp

On Saturday a man who disturbed a wasp nest was stung repeatedly was found dead shortly afterwards. He and his nephew had been collecting firewood in the bush near his home in Marlborough Sounds when they accidentally disturbed the wasp nest. He told his nephew to run before he was overcome and stung many times on the back and arms. When his nephew returned he found his uncle lying dead on the ground.

This is a rare occurrence but does demonstrate that wasps can be highly dangerous and care should be taken not to disturb wasp nests and to destroy them in the safest manner.

The Marlborough Sounds and other areas of New Zealand bush have the highest levels of wasps (Common and German) in the world. They feed on the honeydew excreted by scale insects that live on the bark of beech trees. You may recognise the presence of the scale insects by the black sooty mould that the honeydew encourages on the bark. If you look closely you may see fine ‘hairs’ sticking out from the tree with a drop of sticky honeydew on the end. This fuels wasps and nest densities can reach 20 per hectare.

Wasp nests in the bush are usually in the ground or perhaps a tree hollow. The nest will have only one entrance/exit and can be identified by the stream of worker wasps leaving and arriving at the entrance. When dealing with a wasp nests watch the wasps and identify the nest entrance. Apply a powder insecticide such as carbaryl to the nest entrance where the returning wasps land, so that they walk the powder into the the nest where it will kill the worker wasps, larvae and queen wasp inside. Powder insecticides keep wasps calm in a similar way to the smoke used by beekeepers to keep bees calm during checking of hives. Liquids sprayed or poured on wasp nests have a tendency to aggravate the wasps and increase the likelihood of stings.

More information on the safe destruction of wasp nests.

More on this tragic story.

Wasp numbers are usually at their peak at this time of the year but the weather this year has seen wasp colonies grow to very high numbers and consequently the products such as NO Wasp Dust and Carbaryl are in very high demand. Many stores have sold out despite the best efforts of manufacturers to supply.

Insecticide dust is placed or puffed into the entrance of nests where workers land and carry it into the nest on their bodies and feet, thus destroying the colony. An alternative powder insecticide that will also work well to control wasp nests is available but less used. Maldison is also a powder and can be applied in the same way as Carbaryl. So if you are seeking carbaryl for controlling wasp nests and you find the hardware store or garden centre is sold out, you may find Maldison available.

Is the lead singer of the Police a wasp?

In late summer and autumn wasp numbers are at their highest. It is normal for people to be bothered by more wasps and find more wasp nests in the months of March and April (in New Zealand). As mentioned in my recent blog on the affect of the La Niña weather pattern on insect  numbers the wasp boom has come early this year. As you can see from this chart, the numbers of enquiries tot he Kiwicare website are still rising and are far above the peak of last year already.

Visits to Kiwicare.co.nz re wasps 2010/11 (blue) vs 2009/10 (green)

The German Wasp and Common Wasp are the main pest wasps in New Zealand, but the Asian Paper Wasp can also rise to considerable numbers in the North Island.

How to get rid of Wasps or Bees

Nests – The nests of German and Common wasps generally have only one entrance/exit. If this can be identified the colony can be destroyed by sprinkling or puffing the apicide NO Wasps Dust or NO Insects Carbaryl 80 into the entrance. The workers will then pick up the dust as they enter the nest and take it inside where it will kill larvae and queens.

Great care should be taken in treating the entrance to a nest as there is a risk of being stung. It may be advisable to do this operation at night when there is no wasp activity.

In some cases a nest may be in a difficult to reach situation where powder cannot be applied to the nest entrance. NO Bugs Bug Bombs or NO Bugs Borafume fumigators can often be used in sheds and roof voids to destroy wasp colonies safely and without need to access the nest entrance.

If the nest site cannot be found it is possible to reduce wasp numbers (and maybe kill a whole colony) using NO Wasp Bait Concentrate mixed with a suitable bait such as sugar* or canned fish.

NO Wasps Trigger sprays are useful to treat around rubbish bins and other areas where wasps are attracted.

*Caution: Where there is a risk of attracting bees to the bait, sugar and syrup baits should not be used. In such risk areas use canned fish, raw meat, carrion or fish skeletons as an attractant and spray with water based mix described above. Fix the bait inside an inverted can and suspend from a suitable tree. Respray every 2-3 days.

Honey bee swarms – if you find a large ‘clump’ of bees, hanging from a branch or the side of your house, this is likely to be a bee swarm. This is a queen with her new colony looking for a place to build a nest. Contact you local beekeeper (see the National Beekeepers Association swarm collection contact list) and he/she will try and collect the swarm without harming it for use in honey production. The swarm may move on of its own accord within a day or two.

Note: Honey bees are generally not aggressive while swarming.

A man walks down a street, and enters a shop. He spends a few minutes browsing round the shop, and then apporaches the check-out desk.
“Hello”, he says, “I would like a dead wasp, please”.
The shopkeeper replies “I beg your pardon sir? This is a Pharmacy – we only sell medicines and bathroom products”.
The man says “Yes, I know this is a Pharmacy. However, I would like to buy a dead wasp”.
The shopkeeper is a little confused “Sir, this is a Pharmacy. We DO NOT sell dead wasps.”
The man replies: “So why have you got one in the window then?!”

As well as the mild climate, wasps take advantage of the available food sources New Zealand provides; in particular the honey dew from the scale insect found on native beech trees. Wasp numbers in beech forest can reach extraordinary densities as many trampers will testify.

Wasps are not just a nuisance when you are having a barbecue or tramping through the bush. Many people have allergic reactions to stings that can be life threatening. Wasps are also an enemy to honey bees and will fight a ‘war’ with a honey bee hive in an attempt to steal the bee’s honey store. Bee keepers regard wasps as one of the major causes of reduced honey production. Wasps also damage the New Zealand ecosystems by preying on insects and have even been seen killing newly hatched birds.

You can help reduce wasp numbers and protect New Zealand’s ecosystems and New Zealanders by destroying wasp nests wherever you find them.

I have mentioned wasps several times in this blog before. But the number of enquiries about how to get rid of a wasp nest is three times the peak of last year.

The Gisborne Herald reported yesterday on the discovery of a Super-sized wasp nest found in the roof void.

If you want to know how to safely deal with a wasp nest go to the Kiwicare Wasp and Bee page.

The wasp season has started in earnest. I mentioned in a previous blog (Angry Wasp Season) that the wasps did not appear to be as prevalent this year. Perhaps I should not have tempted the fates.

Over the Easter break there has been a huge spike in visitors to the Kiwicare website seeking help and advice on dealing with wasps and wasp nests. Yesterday saw twice as many people seeking our wasp page as any other day since I started tracking the number in July 2008.

I will be monitoring the level of interest in everything ‘wasp’ over the next few weeks. If you want to learn how to get rid of wasps and wasp nests take a look at the Kiwicare website where you will find a lot of useful advice.

On my travels over the Easter break I noticed another insect pest that is late in being an issue this year. Cabbage White Butterflies were in abundance as I drove around the country. When I stopped at one restaurant which had a dedicated vegetable garden I noticed the damage done by the caterpillars of this butterfly. They had eaten holes in all the brassicas (cabbages, sprouts, kale, and broccoli). A simple spray with BioGro certified Organic NO Caterpillars would have saved the crop from this damage and not had any effect on the ability to use the veges in the restaurant as there is no withholding period.

Caterpillars will continue to damage vegetables and other plants for a month or more yet. So get out and protect them now. I will.

Nests of both common and German wasps are usually in underground cavities or holes in trees, but they frequently set up home in the roof voids or subfloors of houses and other buildings. The entrance to the nest can be identified by the stream of wasps entering and leaving in warm weather. There is almost always only one entrance/exit.

The sting of the wasp is painful and will cause redness and swelling. Wasps, unlike bees can sting multiple times. Some people are particularly sensitive to the stings and anaphylactic shock can result. Susceptible people should carry adrenalin for use in an emergency.

I have been stung many times in the past while dealing with wasp nests. Almost all the stings have occurred late in the season when wasps change their feeding habits towards higher levels of protein. Wasps will catch other insects, even catching flies on the wing. The change in feeding seems to make wasps more aggressive. Using liquid insecticides on wasp nests also has the effect of making the wasps angry. Powder type insecticides are recommended as they help to keep the wasps calm in a similar way to the smoke beekeepers use when handling their hives.

If a wasp lands on you try not to react violently. I appreciate that this is easier said than done but violent movement is only likely to result in a sting. Stay calm and move away from the nest, the wasp is likely to leave.

When controlling a wasp nest use powder insecticide such as NO Wasps Insecticidal Dust or Carbaryl Insect Control (aka NO Wasps Carbaryl). Use the NO Wasps puffer pack to pump the powder into and around the entrance to the nest. If wasp activity is high leave treatment until darkness has fallen and activity has dropped. Do not use the powder when it is raining or rain is due. Wet powder will not be picked up as effectively on the wasps to be carried into the nest.

If the wasp nest is in the eaves of a house it can be difficult to get powder in the nest if the wasps are entering via a hole under the eaves. In this case use NO Insects Carbaryl 80 as a spray and spray the areas where wasps are landing and entering.

NO Wasps powder is 4% carbaryl so that wasps do not detect it and will land on it and take it into the nest. Carbaryl 80 is 80% carbaryl and is effective where the wasps cannot avoid it when entering the nest.

Stay sting free this summer.