Wasps

September – October

• European wasp queens emerge from hibernation.
• Feed on nectar.
• Looks for a suitable site to establish a nest.
• Builds an embryo or founding nest.
• Queen cares for the workers in larvae stage.

European wasp colonies are established in spring by a single fertilised queen. The queen lays an egg in a number of cells in the nest, about 5-6 eggs are laid. These hatch into grub-like larvae and are tended by the queen for a number of weeks. They become the first batch of workers that take over nest construction and rearing of the larvae while the queen concentrates on laying eggs.

October – November

• first workers emerge.
• Queen does not leave the nest from this point on.

From this point on, the queen will not leave the nest again, she will continue to lay eggs and communicate to her workers via pheromones.

December to March

• Nest doubles or triples in size, as does wasp numbers, every 2-3 weeks.

March-April

• Drones are brood up
• Queens are brood up

The nest grows throughout the summer until a batch of drones and new queens are hatched in the autumn.

April-May

• Drones and queens mate.
• Queens find a safe and warm place to hibernate over winter and surviving queens re-emerge in the spring.

After mating, the males will die and the queens will find a suitable site to hibernate for the winter.

In Europe, the nest would then disintegrate, but in Australia’s warm climate, the nest can continue to grow over a number of seasons.
This results in extremely large and potentially dangerous nests of over 100,000 wasps.

During peak season, February – March, an average European wasp nest can contain an estimated 4,000 wasps, numbers can be substantially higher, if conditions and the environment are right. At the end of the season, each nest can produce an estimated 1,000 – 2,000 additional queens; survival rate for spring queens is unknown, the late Dr Philip Spradbery’ s research shows queen survival rate was around 30%, but further studies would need to be conducted.

• European wasps are found in large communal nests, normally only visible as a small entrance hole.
• Nests are normally built either underground or in cavities in walls, ceilings, logs or trees.
• Nests are made out of chewed wood fibre.
• Workers leave the nest in search of food, and are attracted to meats, sweet food and drink.
• Foraging range for a European wasp worker can be up to 1.2km from the nest.

The European wasp is a native of Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor. In Australia, the first European Wasps were found in Tasmania in 1959. By 1978 they had also been found in Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales, Western Australia and Queensland (confirmed by Biosecurity Queensland). They are now firmly established in all these areas.

The European wasp has a nasty sting, they can sting multiple times. They are a nuisance to people’s homes and gardens, public places such as BBQ areas, cafes/restaurants and fresh food markets. They are in search of rich protein foods to feed their larvae, such as pet food, meat from BBQs and picnics as well as insects and spiders.

European wasps have a negative impact on the environment due to the large number of insects and spiders they consume, this in turn puts pressure on our native insects and birds as food becomes scarce.

If threatened or the nest is disturbed, European wasps emit an alarm pheromone summoning the rest of the colony to attack!

The European wasp is more aggressive than bees and will attack when their nest is threatened or disturbed. Unlike bees, wasps can sting more than once, and do not die after stinging. The sting causes a burning pain and swelling. If stings are multiple, a more severe systemic reaction may occur.

A cold pack may be used to relieve the pain of the sting.

In some individuals, wasp, bee and ant stings can cause an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), but this is relatively uncommon. Effective treatment is available, which involves known bee/ant/wasp sting allergy sufferers carrying a special kit when outdoors (EpiPen).

If there is evidence of a more severe reaction or the sting victim is known to be allergic to wasp and bee venom, seek immediate medical attention.

We do not recommend the public treating European wasp nests. Most DIY methods fail resulting in stinging incidences and causing the nest to become more aggressive.

When queens emerge from hibernation and establish nests in the spring, the nests will be difficult to locate due to the low number of wasps, this is up until around late December where nests can contain hundreds of wasps.

In the spring, we recommend sealing cracks and crevices around your home, e.g. doorways, window frames. Click HERE to see a short video of a nest inside a wall cavity.

We recommend regular inspections of homes and gardens during the warmer months. What you are looking for is a steady stream of yellow and black wasps entering/leaving a hole in the ground; a small entrance around door or window frames or activity around the roof area, European wasps also nest in conifer trees. You may want to talk to your neighbours and ask they do the same, a nest may be on their property.

For safety tips, precautions at home and around camping/picnic sites, and first aid etc, see link below:
Safety Tips & First Aid

Unapproved baiting methods are illegal in Australia. To conduct a baiting program, you must obtain a permit from the Australian Pesticide & Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The use of honey based baiting systems is illegal in all States and Territories of Australia.

Please report all European wasp nests to the eWasp Team. By reporting, we are able to monitor the distribution of European wasps through urban and bush land areas and the impact they have on our native species, both prey and predator.

For the research to be successful, we rely heavily on the public’s assistance.
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September – October

• Common wasp queens emerge from hibernation.
• Feed on nectar.
• Looks for a suitable site to establish a nest.
• Builds an embryo or founding nest.
• Queen cares for the workers in larvae stage.

Common wasp colonies are established in spring by a single fertilised queen. The queen lays an egg in a number of cells in the nest, about 5-6 eggs are laid. These hatch into grub-like larvae and are tended by the queen for a number of weeks. They become the first batch of workers that take over nest construction and rearing of the larvae while the queen concentrates on laying eggs.

October – November

• first workers emerge.
• Queen does not leave the nest from this point on.

From this point on, the queen will not leave the nest again, she will continue to lay eggs and communicate to her workers via pheromones.

December to March

• Nest doubles or triples in size, as does wasp numbers, every 2-3 weeks.

March-April

• Drones are brood up
• Queens are brood up

The nest grows throughout the summer until a batch of drones and new queens are hatched in the autumn.

April-May

• Drones and queens mate.
• Queens find a safe and warm place to hibernate over winter and surviving queens re-emerge in the spring.

After mating, the males will die and the queens will find a suitable site to hibernate for the winter.

In North Europe, the nest would then disintegrate, but in Australia’s warm climate, the nest can continue to grow over a number of seasons.
This results in extremely large and potentially dangerous nests of over 100,000 wasps.
Most nests have an average of 5,000 – 7,000 wasps.

• Common wasps are found in large communal nests, normally only visible as a small entrance hole.
• Nests are normally built either underground or in cavities in walls, ceilings, logs or trees.
• Nests are made out of chewed wood fibre.
• Workers leave the nest in search of food, and are attracted to meats, sweet food and drink.
• Foraging range for a Common wasp worker can be up to 1.2km from the nest.

The Common wasp is native to Europe, North Africa and Asia Minor. In Australia, the first Common wasp nest was first discovered in Malvern, Victoria in 1958. and continued to spread throughout the mainland Australia. The first Common wasp nest was discovered in Hobart, Tasmania, in 1959. Both the Common wasp and the European wasp are now found throughout Tasmania, whereas the European wasp dominates the mainland.

The Common wasp has a nasty sting, they can sting multiple times. They are a nuisance to people’s homes and gardens, public places such as BBQ areas, cafes/restaurants and fresh food markets. They are in search of rich protein foods to feed their larvae, such as pet food, meat from BBQs and picnics as well as insects and spiders. Common wasps have a negative impact on the environment due to the large number of insects and spiders they consume, this in turn puts pressure on our native insects and birds as food becomes scarce.

If threatened or the nest is disturbed, Common wasps emit an alarm pheromone summoning the rest of the colony to attack!

The Common wasp is more aggressive than bees and will attack when their nest is threatened or disturbed. Unlike bees, wasps can sting more than once, and do not die after stinging. The sting causes a burning pain and swelling. If stings are multiple, a more severe systemic reaction may occur.

A cold pack may be used to relieve the pain of the sting.

In some individuals, wasp, bee and ant stings can cause an allergic reaction (anaphylaxis), but this is relatively uncommon. Effective treatment is available, which involves known bee/ant/wasp sting allergy sufferers carrying a special kit when outdoors (EpiPen).

If there is evidence of a more severe reaction or the sting victim is known to be allergic to wasp and bee venom, seek immediate medical attention.

We do not recommend the public treating Common wasp nests, always engage a professional pest control company to treat Common wasp nests. Most DIY methods fail resulting in stinging incidences and causing the nest to become more aggressive.

Unapproved baiting methods are illegal in Australia. To conduct a baiting program, you must obtain a permit from the Australian Pesticide & Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA). The use of honey based baiting systems is illegal in all States and Territories of Australia.

Please report all Common wasp nests to the eWasp Team. By reporting, we are able to monitor the distribution of the Common wasps through urban and bush land areas and the impact they have on native species, both prey and predator. For the research to be successful, we rely heavily on the public’s assistance.

See Precautions against European Wasps

• Over-wintering female wasps emerge in spring and begin nest cell construction and egg laying.
• The first broods (a number of young produced or hatched at one time) to emerge in late spring or early summer are only females.
• There is no clear difference in workers and the queen, even small ones, are potentially fertile.
• Egg production in a colony is dominated by one or a few females.
• Male wasps are particularly noticeable in early autumn when they perform distinctive courtship behaviour.
• Males are produced from early summer onwards, and following that, no more females are produced for the season.
• Average nest size 10 cm – 12 cm.

• The Asian paper wasp may consume a considerable amount of invertebrate prey, putting prey species at risk of population decline, and indirectly threatening native predatory insects (native invertebrate such as the paper wasps and spiders) by exerting competitive pressures on them (this may include native reptile species).
• The Asian paper wasp may compete with honey bees and native bird species for honeydew and nectar.

The Asian paper wasp is an invasive species and a significant public nuisance, stinging people when it is disturbed and constructing its nest under house eaves, fence posts and dense shrubs.

Asian paper wasps can deliver painful stings and a cold pack may be used to relieve the pain. If there is evidence of a more severe reaction or the sting victim is known to be allergic to wasp and bee venom, seek immediate medical attention.

Please report all Asian paper wasp nests to the eWasp Team. By reporting, we are able to monitor the distribution of the Asian paper wasp through urban areas and how they are affecting native species of both prey and predator. For the research to be successful, we rely heavily on the public reporting all Asian paper wasp sightings and nests.

Late summer and early autumn the Asian paper wasp nest can have up to 100 wasps in the nest and are more aggressive in defending their nest. It’s recommended that you seek a professional Pest Controller to treat an Asian paper wasp nest during these months.

Do not treat wasps or nests if you are allergic to bees or wasps.

Always use a registered insecticide, the insecticide must have the wasp symbol/image on the label.

Note: When using a registered pesticide, always follow the directions on the label. If poisoning occurs, contact the Poisons Information Centre on 131126.

Engaging a professional Pest Controller is another option.

The best time to treat Asian paper wasps or the nest is late in the evening when all the wasps are on the nest and activity is low, they are most calm at this time.

Wear protective clothing when treating a Asian paper wasp nest, protective clothing includes a bee veil, hat, long sleeved overalls or long pants, long sleeved jumper/hoodie, gloves and protective eye wear.

Wind should always be coming from behind you, and blowing towards the Asian paper wasps or the nest, holding the registered can of insecticide in an upright position, stand a safe distance from the Asian paper wasp nest and not directly underneath the nest, the spray should reach the nest. Spray using a sweeping motion to saturate the nest.

When the Asian paper wasps are dead, you can remove the nest by hosing it down or knock it down with a stick.

• Over-wintering female wasps emerge in spring and begin nest cell construction and egg laying.
• The first broods (a number of young produced or hatched at one time) to emerge in late spring or early summer are only females.
• There is no clear difference in workers and the queen, even small ones, are potentially fertile.
• Egg production in a colony is dominated by one or a few females.
• Male wasps are particularly noticeable in early autumn when they perform distinctive courtship behaviour.
• Males are produced from early summer onwards, and following that, no more females are produced for the season.
• Maximum nest size 10cm–12cm.

• The European paper wasp may consume a considerable amount of invertebrate prey, putting prey species at risk of population decline, and indirectly threatening native predatory insects (native invertebrate such as the paper wasps and spiders) by exerting competitive pressures on them (this may include native reptile species).
• The European paper wasp may compete with honey bees and native bird species for honeydew and nectar.

The European paper wasp is an invasive species and a significant public nuisance, stinging people when it is disturbed and constructing its nest under house eaves, fence posts and dense shrubs.

European paper wasps can deliver painful stings and a cold pack may be used to relieve the pain. If there is evidence of a more severe reaction or the sting victim is known to be allergic to wasp and bee venom, seek immediate medical attention.

Late summer and early autumn the European paper wasp nest can have up to 60 wasps in the nest and are more aggressive in defending their nest. It’s recommended that you seek a professional Pest Controller to treat a European paper wasp nest during these months.

Do not treat wasps or nests if you are allergic to bees or wasps.

Always use a registered insecticide, the insecticide must have the wasp symbol/image on the label.

Note: When using a registered pesticide, always follow the directions on the label. If poisoning occurs, contact the Poisons Information Centre on 131126.

Engaging a professional Pest Controller is another option.

The best time to treat European paper wasps or the nest is late in the evening when all the wasps are on the nest and activity is low, they are most calm at this time.

Wear protective clothing when treating a European paper wasp nest, protective clothing includes a bee veil, hat, long sleeved overalls or long pants, long sleeved jumper/hoodie, gloves and protective eye wear.

Wind should always be coming from behind you and blowing towards the European paper wasps or the nest, holding the registered can of insecticide in an upright position, stand a safe distance from the European paper wasp nest and not directly underneath the nest, the spray should reach the nest. Spray using a sweeping motion to saturate the nest.

When the European paper wasps are dead, you can remove the nest by hosing it down or knock it down with a stick.

• Over-wintering female wasps emerge in spring and begin nest cell construction and egg laying
• The first broods (a number of young produced or hatched at one time) to emerge in late spring or early summer are only females.
• There is no clear difference in workers and the queen, even small ones, are potentially fertile.
• Egg production in a colony is dominated by one or a few females.
• Male wasps are particularly noticeable in early autumn when they perform distinctive courtship behaviour.
• Males are produced from early summer onwards, and following that, no more females are produced for the season.
• Maximum nest size 10 cm – 12 cm.
• Nests contain s 12 – 20 Paper Wasps.

• Adult paper wasps catch caterpillars to feed their larvae, but the adults themselves feed on nectar.
• The nest of the paper wasp is a series of cells shaped like an inverted cone. The nest is make from saliva mixed with wood fragments. When it dries, the mixture is quite paper-like, which gives these wasps their name.

The Native paper wasps tend to only be aggressive when defending their nests but are otherwise beneficial insects to have around the garden.

Note: The Native paper wasp is only native to the eastern part of Australia.

Paper wasps can deliver painful stings and a cold pack may be used to relieve the pain. If there is evidence of a more severe reaction or the sting victim is known to be allergic to wasp and bee venom, seek immediate medical attention.

The Native paper wasp is beneficial to the environment as they control spiders, aphids and other pest insects. If the nest is not located in a high traffic area and no person/s are allergic to bees and wasps, then they are good to keep around. 

Late summer and early autumn the Native paper nest can have up to 30 wasps in the nest and are more aggressive in defending their nest. It’s recommended that you seek a professional Pest Controller to treat Native paper wasp nests during these months.

Do not treat wasps or nests if you are allergic to bees or wasps.

Always use a registered insecticide, the insecticide must have the wasp symbol/image on the label.

Note: When using a registered pesticide, always follow the directions on the label. If poisoning occurs, contact the Poisons Information Centre on 131126.

Engaging a professional Pest Controller is another option.

The best time to treat Native paper wasps or the nest is late in the evening when all the wasps are on the nest and activity is low, they are most calm at this time.

Wear protective clothing when treating a Native paper wasp nest, protective clothing includes a bee veil, hat, long sleeved overalls or long pants, long sleeved jumper/hoodie, gloves and protective eye wear.

Wind should always be coming from behind you, and blowing towards the Native paper wasps or the nest, holding the registered can of insecticide in an upright position, stand a safe distance from the Native paper wasp nest and not directly underneath the nest, the spray should reach the nest. Spray using a sweeping motion to saturate the nest.

When the Native paper wasps are dead, you can remove the nest by hosing it down or knock it down with a stick.

• Adult sand wasps feed on nectar.
• The wasps hunt for flies and other insects to feed their larvae.
• Sand flies dig burrows in sand where they lay their eggs. The adult sand wasp will stock/fill the burrow with paralysed insects and cover up the burrow. When the larvae hatch, they feed on the paralysed insects in the burrow.

• Sand wasps are found throughout Australia.
• Sand wasps live in urban areas, forests and woodlands.
• Sand Wasps are solitary hunting wasps that nest in loose sand in a sunny location. They are not aggressive wasps and will not attempt to sting if you approach them.
• They hunt for insects (some species hunt only certain species of flies) which they paralyse with their sting and drag down sand burrows to feed the larvae.
• They are excellent hunters, capturing flies on the wing, paralysing them with venom in mid-air and carrying them back to the waiting larvae.
• Although sand wasps may nest in a group, they do not share labour unless the nest needs defending, in which case they may attack as a swarm.

The Sand wasp is native to Australia. The sand wasp is beneficial to the environment as they control spiders, aphids and other pest insects. If the nest is not in a high traffic area or no one in the household is allergic to bees and wasps, they are good to have around.

The sand wasp will defend their nest very aggressively. It’s recommended that you seek a professional Pest Controller to treat a sand wasp nest.

Sand wasps can deliver painful stings, but are not as aggressive as the European Wasp. They normally only attack humans if their nest is disturbed. An ice pack may be used to relieve the pain of the sting. If there is evidence of an allergic reaction, medical attention should be sought immediately.

The Sand wasp is beneficial to the environment as they control spiders, aphids and other pest insects. If the nest is not located in a high traffic area and no person/s are allergic to bees and wasps, then they are good to keep around.

Do not treat wasps or nests if you are allergic to bees or wasps.

Always use a registered insecticide, the insecticide must have the wasp symbol/image on the label.

Note: When using a registered pesticide, always follow the directions on the label. If poisoning occurs, contact the Poisons Information Centre on 131126.

Engaging a professional Pest Controller is another option.

The best time to treat Sand wasps is when they are hovering over the nesting site, if they are in the ground, they will not get the chemical on them.

Wear protective clothing when treating a Sand wasp nest, protective clothing includes a bee veil, hat, long sleeved overalls or long pants, long sleeved jumper/hoodie, gloves and protective eye wear.

Wind should always be coming from behind you, and blowing towards the Sand wasps or the nest, holding the registered can of insecticide in an upright position, stand a safe distance from the Sand wasp. Spray using a sweeping motions to spray the sand wasps.

• Mud nesting wasps complete one or two generations per year, depending on the species.
• In the spring, the overwintering pupae (cocoon) develop into adults.
• The new adult females begin building a new nest. After completing the mud nest, they begin to capture insects and/or spiders that are placed into each mud nest cell.
• Some mud nesting wasps sting and paralyse spiders, eggs are deposited on the prey within each cell, then the cell is sealed with mud. The larvae that hatch from the eggs and feed on the prey left by the adult wasp.
• Some mud nesting wasp species, e.g. Spider wasp, dig burrows using their long spines on their front legs and then search quickly on the ground and around trees for spiders.
• There are four stages in the mud nesting wasp’s life cycle, egg-larvae-cocoon-wasp, from egg to wasp takes around 3 weeks.

• Mud nesting wasps are solitary wasps.
• Some mud nesting wasp sp. is often seen digging in sandy soil and dragging huntsman spiders along. Some species are known to bite off the legs of larger spiders, trimming them in order to make them easier to handle.
• Mud nesting wasps’ prey on spiders and insects to feed their larvae and/or will parasitise other mud wasps to feed their larvae.
• Some mud nesting wasps have scales that help them walk on spider’ webs, allowing them to sneak up and attack the spider.
• Mud nesting wasps will prey upon small house spiders to larger spiders like a Huntsman spider.
• Mud nesting wasps do not form colonies to defend nests and are not aggressive.
• Mud nesting wasps live in urban areas, forests and woodlands.
• Adults feed on plant nectar, honeydew and the body fluids of spiders and insects they capture.
• Mud nesting wasps are active in gardens during spring/summer months.

Mud nesting wasps can deliver a painful sting; however, they are not aggressive and are unlikely to use their venom on humans unless extremely provoked.

If stung, an ice pack may be used to relieve the pain of the sting. If there is evidence of an allergic reaction, seek immediate medical attention.

Mud nesting wasp are native to Australia. They are beneficial to the environment as they control spiders, aphids and other pest insects and are also pollinators of native plants.

The Mud nesting wasps is beneficial to the environment as they control spiders, aphids and other pest insects and are also pollinators of native plants. If the nest is not located in a high traffic area and no person/s are allergic to bees and wasps, then they are good to keep around.

Do not treat wasps or nests if you are allergic to bees or wasps.

Always use a registered insecticide, the insecticide must have the wasp symbol/image on the label.

Note: When using a registered pesticide, always follow the directions on the label. If poisoning occurs, contact the Poisons Information Centre on 131126.

Engaging a professional Pest Controller is another option.

The best time to treat Mud nesting wasps or the nest is late in the evening when wasp activity is low. Mud nesting wasps tend to rest overnight under bark, leaves, crack or crevices but may also be found on their nest. Before removing the nest, be sure the wasps are not on or in the nest. If the wasps are on the nest, you need to destroy the wasps first, (see How to apply insecticide). Once the wasp is gone/destroyed, you can wash or knock down the nest.

Wear protective clothing when treating a mud nesting wasp nests; protective clothing includes a bee veil, hat, long sleeved overalls or long pants, long sleeved jumper/hoodie, gloves and protective eye wear.

When the wasp is not present, the nest can be knocked or hosed down, this should deter the wasp from coming back and going elsewhere to make a nest. If the wasp is persistent, it may require a chemical treatment.

If chemical treatment is required, please follow the directions on the label. When the Mud wasp is dead, you can remove the nest by hosing it down or knocking it down with a stick. Any old nests can also be removed.

Note: Old mud wasp nests are reused by other native insects e.g. native bees and spiders.

• The white-faced brown paper wasp colonies have a single dominant female or are started by one or more females that then compete for egg laying duties.
• Where there are large numbers of nests located in the one area, there will be several queens, with each one maintaining a specific area of nests.
• Colonies start in early spring with the first workers emerging as adults between November and December.
• Reproduction occurs in early March, Autumn, where males are present, the females may become the foundresses of nest.
• The white-faced brown paper wasp may spend their winters in their maternal nests, but in cooler places, they will find a place to hibernate over winter returning to the same nest when the weather warms up again.
• Nesting sites are found on overhanging rocks, caves, trees, and also under bridges and eaves of homes.
• There can be a single nest or hundreds of nests in one area/location.

The white-faced brown paper wasp is widely distributed on the eastern side of Australia. It is found mainly in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. They are also found in southern Queensland.

The white-faced brown paper wasp is native to Australia. The white-faced brown paper wasp are pollinators and good to have around the garden.

The white-faced brown paper wasp is beneficial to the environment as they control spiders, aphids and other pest insects.

The white-faced brown paper wasp can deliver painful stings and a cold pack may be used to relieve the pain. If there is evidence of a more severe reaction or the sting victim is known to be allergic to wasp or bee venom, seek immediate medical attention.

The White-faced brown paper wasp is beneficial to the environment as they control spiders, aphids and other pest insects. If the nest is not located in a high traffic area and no person/s are allergic to bees and wasps, then they are good to keep around.

Late summer and early autumn, the White-faced brown paper wasp nest can have up to 30 wasps per nest, or hundreds of wasps in the one area, depending on how many nests are at the location/area. The wasps will become aggressive if threatened or when defending their nest.

Do not treat wasps or nests if you are allergic to bees or wasps.

Always use a registered insecticide, the insecticide must have the wasp symbol/image on the label.

Note: When using a registered pesticide, always follow the directions on the label. If poisoning occurs, contact the Poisons Information Centre on 131126.

Engaging a professional Pest Controller is another option.

The best time to treat white-faced brown paper wasps or the nest is very early in the morning, dawn, or very late in the evening. This is when all the wasps are on the nest and activity is low, they are most calm at this time.

Wear protective clothing when treating a white-faced brown paper wasp nest, protective clothing includes a bee veil, hat, long sleeved overalls or long pants, long sleeved jumper/hoodie, gloves and protective eye wear.

Wind should always be coming from behind you and blowing towards the white-faced brown paper wasps or the nest, holding the registered can of insecticide in an upright position, stand a safe distance from the nest and not directly underneath the nest, the spray should reach the nest. Spray using a sweeping motion to saturate the nest.

When all the wasps are dead, you can remove the nest by hosing it down or knock it down with a stick/broom.

Do not use this method or any other method for European Wasp nests, always engage a professional Pest Controller to treat a European wasp nest.

• The Tree brown paper wasp colonies have a single dominant female.
• Colonies start in early spring with the first workers emerging as adults between November and December.
• Reproduction occurs in early March, Autumn, where males are present.
• They nest on, in or in the hollows of trees, among foliage/canopy and occasionally on the sides of house/buildings.
• The nest has an outer papery envelope which is generally exposed.
• Nest can reach up to 100cm in length.

The Tree brown paper wasp is found in woodlands, forest and suburban gardens. Their distribution is throughout coastal Queensland, the top end of the Northern Territory and a few nests have been reported in New South Wales.

In Queensland, the south east part of Queensland, the nests are very large and can grow to over a metre long. In the northern part of Queensland, the nests are medium sized and are attached to canopy/tree foliage.

The Tree brown paper wasp is native to Australia. The Tree brown paper wasp is beneficial to the environment as they control other pest insects, they are also pollinators.

The Tree brown paper wasp, when protecting the nest, releases a chemical pheromone that alerts the colony to attack. They can deliver painful stings, and sting multiple times.

A cold pack may be used to relieve the pain. If there is evidence of a more severe reaction or the sting victim is known to be allergic to wasp or bee venom, seek immediate medical attention.

The safest way to treat a Tree brown paper wasp nest is to engage a professional Pest Controller. Do not attempt to treat these nests yourself.

Engaging a professional Pest Controller is another option.