Controlling Invasive European Wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) In Australia With Bait

The efficacy of YJX-100 yellowjacket baiting system to control individual nests and to provide area-wide suppression of European wasps Vespula germanica was evaluated. The study was conducted in a disturbed urban tall grass habitat in Canberra, Australia in 2017. Six active European wasp nests were targeted with bait application. Bait (3 grams) was dispensed in pill bottles with eight bait stations placed around each of target nests covering an area of approximately 0.4 hectare. Immediately after bait application, European wasps exhibited strong foraging response to the bait, requiring rebaiting within 60 minutes of initial bait application on ~90% of the bait stations deployed. At 24-hours post-baiting, the average traffic rate of the targeted nests of European wasps was reduced by 92.7%. Similar reduction (96.6%) in nest activity was achieved against colonies that were not directly targeted by bait application within the experimental area. None of the nests recovered and complete colony elimination was further confirmed by the excavation of the 6 nests targeted with bait application.