ANOTHER WASP SPECIES SEEN AT WHAKATANE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 52, 17 October 1949, Page 5

ANOTHER WASP SPECIES SEEN AT WHAKATANE

First noticed in New Zealand before 1916 another species of the wasp family the vespa vulgaris, or as it is more commonly known, the Tasmanian wasp has made its appearance in the Bay of Plenty when last week a nest was discovered hanging from a tree in "Merritt Street, Whakatane, and was later identified as the insect.

Exactly like the vespa germanca in appearance, the wasp that has been seen in the Bay for the last year, the vespa vulgaris is only half the size. It builds a nest the shape of a rose and the size of a passion fruit of grey parchment like paper and hangs it from the twig of a tree. The inside of the nest is divided into small cells.

This wasp is not unlike an overgrown mosquito in size while tis life cycle is almost the same as its cousin, the vespa germanica. The small insect the vespa vulgaris is not common in New Zealand but is well known in England and Australia. It is not so difficult to destroy the nest because it is fairly easy to find hanging from trees. They can be readily dealt with by burning with a torch or blow-lamp, or by snipping off the twig to which they are attached and dropping the complete nest into a benzine tin half full of boiling water. Water with a heavy coating of kerosene would he just as suitable.

These wasps have only just been noticed at Whakatane and the public are being warned to keep on the lookout for all wasp nests and to destroy them as soon as they are found.