WASP GUIDE

DANGERS

Your safety is of paramount importance to The Wasp Guys. Wasps can be extremely dangerous and they will attack in groups to protect their nests and the queen wasp. On very rare occasions a single sting can cause an anaphylactic shock. If a reaction is caused by a wasp sting, medical attention should be sought immediately. Wasps generally emerge from hibernation between March and June, with the Queen Wasp then taking about 4-6 weeks to build a small nest. Once established in the nest the Queen can lay as many as a hundred eggs every day, resulting in hundreds of extra wasps each week. Only female wasps can sting.

RECORDS

The largest wasp nest found in the UK was above a pub in Southampton and measured 5ft by 6ft.
The largest wasps nest found in the world measured an incredible 22ft in Tenerife in 2013.
Previous largest wasps nest in the world was found in New Zealand in 1967 and measured 12ft.

KNOW YOUR WASP

There are many species of wasp in the UK, with the most common species outlined below:

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GERMAN WASP (VESPULA GERMANICA)

This wasp is bad tempered and the most common to see in the UK. The species typically has a single queen who produces between 6,000 and 10,000 workers. Their nests are usually found in the ground, in roofs or trees and are football-sized.

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RED WASP (VESPULA RUFA)

These wasps have a noticeable red colour on their abdomens, with smaller nests that are always underground. A single queen typically produces approximately 300 workers. These wasps will be seen out until late August.

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DOLICHOVESPULA SPECIES

There are three species of Dolichovespula in the UK. They are bigger than the Vespula wasps with blacker abdomens, and are typically seen in early-mid summer. Their queens leave the nest in early August and so their colonies calm down around this time.

YELLOW-LEGGED ASIAN HORNET (VESPA VELUTINA)

These are extremely rare to see in the UK as an effective extermination protocol has been developed for managing this invasive species. If sighted they should be reported with photos to the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology at alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.

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EUROPEAN HORNET (VESPA CRABRO)

These hornets are twice the size of most other wasps. They have a single queen and around 100 workers, and like to nest in tree cavities or bird boxes.