Simple tools spell demise of wasps

A Dunedin woman is staying on top of wasp infestations by planning ahead and trapping as many queens as possible before summer.

Macandrew Bay resident Karen Nielsen has trapped at least 20 queen wasps in the past two weeks using a simple trap and home-made solution.

Ms Nielsen said she previously had problems with wasp nests around her house and they were a "nuisance".

"They ruin outdoor life in summer."

They were not always visible but there were a lot of wasps around, Ms Nielsen said.

It was getting pretty expensive to get rid of them when she and her husband decided to buy a small trap that cost no more than $15 and planted it in their backyard about September.

She made a solution for wasps to land in by mixing brown sugar with white vinegar.

By getting rid of the queen wasps, Ms Nielsen believed she was getting rid of tens of thousands of their progeny.

Wasp season runs from spring to late summer. They begin appearing in spring to build nests and become more visible in early summer. They are most active in the late summer and early autumn before they die off in the cold.

mark.john@odt.co.nz