As well as inflicting a painful sting, and in some cases allergic reactions, wasps frighten people, cause schools to close, forestry operations to stop, and force campers and tourists to leave some of New Zealand’s most visited conservation areas. Beekeepers class wasps as a serious threat to their industry and orchardists and viticulturists suffer the destruction of fruit. There are four species of wasps in the Waikato region that are considered pests. These are the Australian paper wasp (Polistes hummulis), the Asian paper wasp (Polistes chinensis), the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and the German wasp (Vespula germanica).
6.16.1 Australian and Asian paper wasps (Polistes humilis and Polistes chinensis)
Descriptions
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| Asian paper wasp |
Australian paper wasp |
Environmental threat
Production threat
Public threat
Paper wasps are distinguished by their body shape, which is slender, 13-25 mm long, with reddish brown to black bodies with yellow rings and reddish areas on the abdomen. The wings are reddish or amber brown and they have long legs that hang down during flight1. The Asian paper wasp frequently constructs its nest on houses or other buildings and will also nest in trees or bushes 2,3.
Australian paper wasps are slender with long, thin wings. They are 10-15 mm long and reddish brown. This species nests above ground in buildings and trees. The Australian paper wasp has been in New Zealand for more than a century.
The Asian paper wasp is larger than the Australian paper wasp. It arrived in New Zealand in the late 1970s, and by 1995 was widespread throughout the upper North Island and had spread as far south as Lower Hutt and Nelson. Populations increased the most in the central North Island. Large populations of Asian paper wasps occur in lowla
nd open habitats such as shrublands, swamps and salt marshes4.
6.16.2 Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
Description
Environmental threat
Production threat
Public threat
Common wasps are generally 12-17 mm long, although queens are larger. Workers can be identified by a black mark behind the eye on the side of the head and an anchor-shaped or dagger-shaped mark on the ‘face’, parallel yellow pronotal bands, and black dots and rings on the abdomen which are usually fused5. They are social insects that inhabit agricultural areas, natural forests, planted forests, scrub/shrublands and urban areas where they nest underground and in cavities in trees and buildings.
6.16.3 German wasp (Vespula germanica)
Description
German wasps are almost indistinguishable from common wasps (to the untrained eye), they are also social insects, and inhabit the same areas.
Reasons for the strategy
Environmental threat
Production threat
Public threat
All four species of wasp threaten people, production and native species. Asian paper wasps can occur in high densities of more than 200 nests per ha and 6,300 wasps per ha6. The potential impact of such high densities of these wasps on native ecosystems is a concern, although the full extent of this impact requires further research. Asian paper wasps prey mainly on invertebrates, especially caterpillars, and are capable of consuming 957 g per ha per season of invertebrate biomass7. They also compete with other insects for nectar and honeydew resources.
The German wasp is a successful invader of both disturbed environments and natural ecosystems. The species establish large nests, and the workers efficiently exploit food resources, such as nectar and insects, upon which native fauna depend. This species is difficult to control as a new colony can be established from a single inseminated female.
The common wasp has been nominated as being one of the world’s worst invaders. This species impacts on conservation, forestry, beekeeping, horticulture and human activities. In addition to causing painful stings to humans, they compete with birds and other insects for insect prey and sugar sources. They will also eat fruit crops and scavenge around rubbish bins and picnic sites.
Long-term objective
Reduce the adverse effects of wasp species within the Waikato region.
Strategic objective
Reduce the risk of wasps adversely affecting the environment, production and people in the Waikato region for the duration of the strategy.
| Means of achievement |
| Strategy rule 6.16.1 |
On complaint from any affected party, the occupier is required on direction from an authorised person, to control Australian paper wasp (Polistes hummulis), Asian paper wasp (Polistes chinensis), common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and German wasp (Vespula germanica) by destroying any wasp nest where the nest occurs on land occupied.
A breach of these rules will create an offence under section 154(r) of the Act. Enforcement will be in accordance with section 11.3.1 of the strategy. Exemptions to a rule may apply, as outlined in section 11.3.2 of the strategy. |
| Monitoring |
Waikato Regional Council will undertake compliance monitoring of the above rule, on a complaints only basis, in accordance with section 11.2.2 of the strategy. |
| Information and advice |
Waikato Regional Council will provide advice and information on the threats of Australian paper wasp, Asian paper wasp, common wasp and German wasp to affected land occupiers and other interested parties, in accordance with section 11.1 of the strategy. |
| Direct control |
In accordance with section 11.6 of the strategy, Waikato Regional Council may undertake the direct control of these wasps at high value sites where their presence threatens site values. |