To: multiple recipients of <BEE-L@EARN,ALBNYVM1>From: Andrew Matheson, IBRA,
 Cardiff, UK
Date: Friday 28 August 1992
 
I've recently come back from some time away to pick up on the end
of the discussion about German wasps in New Zealand.
 
Nests the size of Volkswagens are certainly encountered. Many of
these monster nests are aerial.  In a 1960 review of the
introduction of the species to New Zealand (by C R Thomas, and in
the IBRA library), the largest nest reported was on the outside of
a tree trunk, and measured 4.5m high x 1.5m wide x 0.6m thick, or
about 4m3 in volume.
 
There is a photo of a huge aerial nest in a recent review of New
Zealand beekeeping in Bee World (AA136/92, the whole article
reprinted as AA850/92).
 
Overwintering nests get a good start on annual ones.  I have a
photo of a nest excavated in September (early spring in New
Zealand), which contained 7019 workers, 650 drones, and an amazing
2475 queens.  No wonder they reach such sizes the next year.
 
Destroying these nests does pose a few problems.  Stephen Bambara
suggests chucking some carbaryl in the entrance of underground
nests: this is the simplest and most effective method in my
experience.  AA249L/85 is an extension leaflet detailing a number
of other methods.
 
Some of the monster nests have been destroyed by dynamite; one mine
worker I heard of used a whole case of gelignite he "borrowed" from
work.  It destroyed the nest, and also most of the windows in a
house 100m away.  I once recommended explosives to some desparate
landowners with a large nest under an overhanging river bank.
However, I don't know if it worked, as I never heard back from
them!  Flamethrowers can also be useful...I kid you not.
 
Using biological control to reduce wasp numbers is the subject of
an interesting article in the next issue of Bee World.
 
Footnote: AA numbers refer to entries in IBRA's journal Apicultural
Abstracts, for instance 850/92 is entry 850 in the 1992 volume.