Managing European Paper Wasps starts in the Fall/Winter: with eliminating nesting spots to prevent Spring nest establishment. Don’t worry about taking down hard-to-reach European Paper Wasp nests from this past growing season- they will not re-use them. At the end of the fall, when temperatures begin to drop: workers will die off, and the queen will seek shelter in the ground to overwinter, moving out to seek an ideal nest location when temperatures start warming up again in the Spring. European Paper Wasps are a non-native wasp species that has become widespread in the state of Colorado. With records dating back to 2000/2001 in the Front Range, and possibly a few years earlier in the Western Slope: these stinging insects are becoming a nuisance in urbanized areas across the state. Similar to Yellowjackets (their stalkier cousins), these stinging insects can become aggressive in close proximity to human activity, and their social nature and aggressive behavior lends to their status as one of the most common unpleasant stinging interactions in the State of Colorado. Like many other paper wasps and hornets, European Paper Wasps will not re-use their nests from previous years, as they make a new nest each year- starting from scratch. Their nests are composed of a paper-like material fashioned into hexagonal cells. This is created from chewed up bark and other wooden materials. The best way to minimize populations around your homes is to remove ideal nesting habitat. These wasps like to nest in enclosed/sheltered areas, and can make use of spaces in grills, mailboxes, door jams of cars, and many more. Limiting access to these ideal shelters will reduce the likelihood of unpleasant interactions with humans. For areas that are far out of reach and out of the way, or unlikely to be encountered in the summer months- you do not need to worry about wasp prevention. European Paper Wasps have become one of the most important predators of many different yard and garden insects, and are considered beneficial.
In the summer months, established nests can be targeted with appropriately labeled pesticides. It is recommended that you wait until the darker hours of the late evening to spray these nests (after you have scouted and pinpointed their locations during the day). Again, this chemical control is only necessary in areas where nests will come in close proximity to humans, and may result in unpleasant interactions. Check out CSU Extension's Fact Sheet to learn more about the European Paper Wasp, their biology, and management: http://extension.colostate.edu/docs/pubs/insect/05611.pdf
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
About the Author:Abi Saeed is an Entomologist with a specialization in Pollinators, Horticulture, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), Pesticides, Insect Identification, and Plant Pathology. |