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Wasps and Bees can really start to become a problem during the spring, summer months in Canberra. This is when they begin to build their nests and hives in and around homes and businesses, becoming potentially dangerous pests.
DO NOT approach the nest or attempt to treat yourself. Call Canberra Pest Control Now!
European Wasps will aggressively defend their nest by swarming out to attack a disturbance! The sting is painful and multiple stings or a sting in the throat can be dangerous or fatal.
Most of the time a wasp or bee sting will just cause pain and local swelling, but they can be seriously harmful and sometimes fatal for those with an allergy.
If you see a wasps’ nest or beehive on your property, call Canberra Pest Control straight away and do not approach the nest site. For your safety and peace of mind, Canberra Pest Control will exterminate wasps or bees in and around your home or business, guaranteed.
ENQUIRE TODAYWasps & bees commonly found in the Canberra ACT Area
Many Wasp species are found in Canberra, the most common are the European Wasp, Paper Wasp & Mud Wasp. Australia has over 1500 species of native bees, with many more introduced species that were brought here for honey production and are now also found in the wild. The most common type of bee we see in residential areas is the commercial honey bee, or European honey bee. This introduced species can be a dangerous pest and may be found nesting in trees and bushes on your property, or in the wall cavities or roof of your home or business.
This introduced species can be very aggressive if disturbed and unlike bees, can and will sting multiple times.
Not only does it negatively impact our natural environment, but the European wasp is one of the most invasive wasp species in residential areas worldwide.
Colour
Black on their front with yellow markings and bright yellow on their back with black stripes. They also have bright yellow legs.
Size
Worker wasps will grow from 1.2 to 1.7 centimetres in length, while queens are much larger, but rarely seen outside the hive. Wasps can be easily distinguished from bees on first sight, as they are less hairy and have longer, leaner bodies.
Habitat
In the wild, European wasps usually make their nests in the ground, but in buildings they can be found inside roof spaces or walls and under eaves.
Lifecycle
They mate in Autumn and in winter the entire colony dies except for the queen, who emerges in spring to begin laying eggs. The worker wasps will begin to build the nest and will usually finish in summer. Worker wasps will only live for a few weeks, but queens will live for around a year.
Paper wasps are native to Australia, yet can still be a pest in residential and commercial areas.
Colour
Black with dull yellow stripes and a yellow face, not as bright as the European wasp.
Size
Worker wasps grow from 1 to 1.5 centimetres in length, with queen wasps growing larger. Paper wasps have long, thin legs and slender body.
Habitat
Paper wasps are found all along the east coast of Australia and in South Australia. The workers wasps gather plant stems and dead wood which they mix with saliva to create the paper-like material of their nests. Their natural environment is in shrublands, but around human dwellings their nests can be found inside roof spaces, under eaves and attached to the outside of buildings.
Lifecycle
There are usually around 2 queens in a paper wasp colony. Nests are either built or reused by worker females in the spring, who then produce more worker females throughout the summer. Towards the end of the summer and in early autumn, the male workers are produced and the queens emerge from hibernation.
The mud wasp is a solitary predator species native to most parts of Australia and southeast Asia.
They are bright yellow with large black bands around the abdomen and thorax and some black markings on the legs.
Colour
They are bright yellow with large black bands around the abdomen and thorax and some black markings on the legs.
Size
Slightly larger than their European or yellow jacket cousins, worker mud wasps will grow from 1.7 to 3 centimetres in length, with the queen being the largest in the hive. The mud wasp can be easily distinguished by its thin, stick-like petiole protruding out from the thorax to the abdomen.
Habitat
They build nests out of collected mud, especially clay mud. You will find them inside wall and roof cavities and under eaves, where they are sheltered but have had close access to an outside mud source.
Lifecycle
The female will construct a mud nest using dirt and water collected from nearby. After mating, the eggs are placed in separate compartments of the nest with several paralysed spiders for the larvae to feed on when it hatches. After emerging as adults, the young wasps begin the same process again.
"Yellow jacket wasp" is the most common name in North America for predatory wasps of the genera Vespula.
Colour
Black on their front with yellow markings and bright yellow on their back with black stripes. They also have bright yellow legs.
Size
Worker wasps will grow to around 1.3 centimetres in length, while queens are much larger but rarely seen outside the hive. Yellow jacket wasps are very similar in appearance to European wasps, except they have three tiny black dots on their clypeus (face).
Habitat
In the wild, yellow jacket wasps usually make their nests below ground in the soil, but in buildings they can be found inside roof spaces or walls and under eaves.
Lifecycle
The queen will initiate a nest and it will grow throughout late autumn and summer as more and more worker bees mature. Worker wasps will only live for a few weeks, but queens will live for around a year or even more. Unlike their European counterparts, yellow jacket wasps in Australia will often survive winter to form a larger, polygynous nest for the next year.
Asian paper wasps are an introduced species, yet they are very similar to their Australian counterparts.
Colour
The Asian paper wasps have similar markings to their Australian relatives, but their colours are a more vivid black and yellow.
Size
Worker wasps grow from 1.3 to 2.5 centimetres in length, with queen wasps growing larger. Asian paper wasps look very similar to Australian paper wasps, with long, thin legs and slender bodies.
Habitat
The Asian paper wasp is a highly invasive species in Australia; they compete with many local species and can be very aggressive towards humans. As well as in shrublands, their nests can be found inside roof spaces, under eaves and attached to the outside of buildings.
Lifecycle
There are usually around 2 queens in a paper wasp colony. Nests are either built or reused by worker females in the spring, who then produce more worker females throughout the summer. Towards the end of the summer and in early autumn, the male workers are produced and the queens emerge from hibernation.
Although Australia has over 1500 native bee species, the most commonly found pest is the introduced European honey bee.
Colour
Dark brown legs and body with yellow bands around the body. Bees are normally coloured a duller yellow than wasps.
Size
Honey bees are usually oval shaped and more round than wasps. Worker bees grow to around 1.5cm in length but queen bees are bigger.
Habitat
In the wild, they build their hives in hollow trees or on branches. In buildings, hives can be found inside roof spaces or walls, under floors and attached to the outside of buildings. Honey bee hives are made of wax and can be very heavy, causing structural damage.
Lifecycle
Each colony contains only one queen bee, which can produce around 2000 eggs a day. The rest are worker bees who build the hive, collect pollen and feed the larvae. Worker bees only live for around 1 to 10 months, but queen bees can live 3 to 5 years.
Mortar bees are so named because they do not build hives, but instead prefer to nest within naturally occurring holes or crevices in masonry, especially in soft materials such as sandstone or limestone. They do not produce honey or beeswax, yet still feed off pollen, like other bees.
Colour
Mortar bees vary in colour depending on the species. Most will be similar in colour to honey bees, with yellow/orange and black stripes on the abdomen, but others can be red, black or even blue.
Size
Like honey bees, mortar bees have stout, oval shaped bodies with translucent wings and depending on the species, may be very furry or not at all.
Habitat
In the wild, Mortar bees create nests within hollow twigs or cavities in soft stone or dry mud. They will often excavate long, narrow nests in soft stone brickwork and mortar. A mortar bee will very rarely sting but a serious infestation can cause significant structural damage.
Lifecycle
Mortar bees live alone, have no queens and every female is fertile. After mating, the male dies and the female searches for crevices in which to build a nest, with some species excavating the crevice further. The eggs are laid in separate compartments within the nest and after hibernating, will hatch in the summer.
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Canberra Pest Control wasps & bees treatments What's Involved?
If you have wasps & bees in Canberra, here’s what we’ll do for you...
- A Pre-Work Risk Assessment will be completed over the phone at the time of booking with our office staff. Details include but are not limited to: type of Wasp or Bee & nest or hive location, type of premises, specific requirements, instructions and risk information.
- A further assessment and thorough inspection will be conducted by your technician on site at the time of the treatment. Please DO NOT approach the nest or hive site, ideally you will be able to point out the location of the site to your technician.
- Once located, we will positively identify the species and nest or hive type, in order to carry out the most effective kind of treatment. If the nest or hive is located in or on your home or business, we will also complete an interior inspection to ensure there is no risk to the inside of the premises and its occupants.
- For European wasps & bees, we inject an insecticide dust into the nest or hive site, the treatment will start working almost immediately. The residual insecticide left inside the treatment area will also exterminate any wasps/bees that return after the time of treatment. For your own safety, you will need to avoid the treated area until the following morning.
- For paper wasps & mud wasps, we treat the nest and surrounding area with a liquid spray and if reachable, we will knock the nest down. For your own safety, you will need to avoid the treated area until the following morning. Your technician will also complete a thorough inspection for other nests on the premises.
The Canberra Pest Control Guarantee
Our specifically targeted wasp & bee treatments for homes and businesses work every time. In the extremely unlikely event of a recurrence at the treated nest site, we will of course re treat the free of charge.
- Signs of a hive or nest on your property Know where and what to look for...
- How to prevent wasps & bees on your property Handy tips and tricks...
Signs of a hive or nest on your property
Signs of a wasp & bee infestation What to Look for
If you are seeing more than just the odd wasp or bee around your property, it is likely that there is a nest hiding nearby, so keep a lookout for them. A single wasp nest may contain up to 25,000 wasps, while a beehive can house up to 60,000!
By watching the flight path of wasps and bees, noting where they are going to and returning from, you will be able to locate the nest or hive.
Wasps build new nests in spring and they are made of a papery substance which can be found attached to a tree or spread out on the wall or roof of a building. They will also often build nests in attics or roof space.
Beehives are made of wax and contain dense honeycomb structures. They are usually seen on tree branches but can also be found in buildings like wasp nests.
If you see a nest or hive, don’t approach it! Both wasp and bee stings are not only painful but can cause allergic reactions and in serious cases, even death.
ExitHow to prevent wasps & bees on your property
Here are some handy tips to help reclaim your home
Keep Wasps & Bees Out
Clean up
Bees will generally only eat nectar and pollen, so you won’t find often find them buzzing about your food like flies. Wasps on the other hand are carnivorous, usually preying on other insects and spiders. When their usual food sources are scarce however, wasps will turn to scavenging, especially for foods that are high in protein or sugar. Don’t leave pet food outside all day and if you’re eating outside, make sure you cover your food and sugary drinks.
Take out the rubbish
An open garbage bin will attract not only wasps on your property, but other undesirable pests too. Make sure you tie up all bin bags and keep both inside and outside bins covered. Both wasps and bees are attracted to sweet things, so make sure you rinse out any soft drink cans, juice bottles, etc. before you throw them in the recycling.
Seal up your house
Use a sealant like caulk to seal up cracks and crevices around windows, skirting boards, floor boards, electrical outlets and pipes. Eliminate other entry points by replacing torn window and door screens. Varnishing wood surfaces will also help to seal them.
ExitWasps & Bees FAQs
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What’s the difference between a wasp and a bee?
Both bees and wasps often sip nectar from flowers. However, bees feed their young with pollen collected from flowers while wasps feed their young on insect or spider prey. So if you see an insect collecting pollen from a flower, it is a bee, not a wasp. Wasp nests are made of a papery substance which can be found hanging from a tree or spread out on the wall or roof of a building, while beehives are made of wax and contain dense honeycomb structures. In addition, a bee will usually only sting if provoked, yet wasps are naturally more aggressive predators.
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What do wasps & bees eat?
Mature honey bees eat nectar and pollen from flowers, whilst their larvae eat honey. Wasps are normally carnivorous, eating smaller insects and spiders. When available, wasps will also eat human or pet foods like meat that are high in protein. Both wasps and bees can also be attracted to sweet liquids such as juice or soft drink.
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Can a dead wasp or bee still sting you?
Yes, both wasps and bees have a venom sac on their sting end which will keep pulsing for a short period after it dies, so if you come into contact with it, you can be stung. A bee’s sting is barbed and remains in mammal skin after piercing it, usually killing the bee. A wasp’s sting is not barbed however, therefore the same wasp can sting you multiple times without harming itself.
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In addition to pest control, what else can I do to deter wasps and bees around the home?
There are a few things you can do yourself to discourage a wasp nest or beehive around your home. These include simple habits like cleaning and removing rubbish. Read more about how to prevent wasps & bees on your property here.
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Is pest control safe for children and pregnant women?
The simple answer is yes. When we use pesticides or baits, we select formulations with the lowest toxicity available & apply these products where pests breed and live, not where you can come into contact with them.
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Is pest control safe for my pets?
Yes, with our specific Wasp & Bee treatments we target the treatment to the nest/hive location. However, Wasp and Bee stings can be just as dangerous for your pets as they are for you. Usually cats cannot escape fast enough from attacking bees, but dogs need to be able to get inside. It is a good idea to keep your pets as far away from the hive or nest site until the day after pest control treatment.
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What happens if I have asthma or allergies?
Often you may simply need to stay out of the house for a little longer than usually needed. There are however, many different products and techniques we can use to control pests. If you or any member of your family suffers from asthma or is sensitive to chemicals, please let us know, or seek medical advice.
The Most Common Pests We Treat
10 pest special offer!
When treating for spiders, we also exterminate cockroaches, silverfish, earwigs, slaters, millipedes, clothes moths, pantry moths, paper wasps & mud wasps at no extra cost.