What does it look like?
Australian paper wasps are slender wasps with long, narrow wings. They’re relatively small, measuring about 10–15 millimetres long, and are reddish brown in colour. Like Asian paper wasps, their legs hang down beneath their bodies when they fly, which is a useful identifying feature.
Australian paper wasps have been present in New Zealand for more than a century. They build their nests above ground, commonly in trees, on buildings, and often on fence posts.
The nests are made from chewed, regurgitated wood fibres and usually grow to about the size of a pear. Each nest is built from scratch every year, as the colonies die off over winter. Only the queens survive the colder months, hibernating before emerging in spring to start new nests.
Why is it a problem?
While less aggressive than German and common wasps, Australian paper wasps can still reach high densities, with more than 200 nests per hectare recorded in some areas. Large numbers of wasps can put pressure on native ecosystems, although the full extent of these impacts is still being studied.
All introduced social wasps, including Australian paper wasps, consume large amounts of honeydew. This is a key food source produced by native scale insects and relied on by native birds, bats, insects, and lizards. They also prey on large numbers of native insects and have been seen killing newly hatched birds, disrupting natural food webs.
Australian paper wasps are also a nuisance to forestry workers, tourism operators, and the public. They’re common around outdoor activities, and their stings can cause painful reactions. In some people, wasp venom can trigger serious allergic or hypersensitive responses.
Control methods
Spray paper wasp nests with household fly spray in the evening, when wasps will be in the nest. After spraying, place a bag under the nest, pull it up around the nest and cut the nest off into the bag. Seal the bag and dispose of in the rubbish.
There are many products that can be purchased from garden centres and supermarkets that will help with the elimination of wasps. If you suspect or find that you have multiple wasp nests, contact a specialist pest management firm. It’s important to be aware that accidental contact or proximity with the nest will signal a threat to these wasps, and they are capable of stinging many times.
More information
Australian paper wasps are limited to Northern New Zealand.
Related links
Management Programme
Unwanted Organism
An unwanted organism is any organism that's capable of causing harm to natural or physical resources (like forests and waterways) or human health. A number of introduced pests in New Zealand are classed as unwanted.
