Wasps Pest Control Products from DIY Pest Control Easily recognisable by the distinctive bands of black and yellow on the thorax and abdomen. The wasp has 2 pairs of membranous wings and the adults grow to between 10mm & 20mm in length. Wasps build their nests in many different places, ranging from outside areas such as trees, hedges, in the ground (usually in earth banks), as well as in the fabric of buildings in roof spaces, air bricks and cavity walls. It is mainly when they enter buildings that they come into conflict with humans and usually later in the summer season when the nest is at its peak and the wasps become more aggressive. Wasps are widely feared because of their sting which can be very painful and can be more serious if multiple stings occur or a sting in a sensitive area such as the mouth or the head or under the arm. In some individual humans, a single sting can cause anaphylactic shock which is an extreme reaction to the wasp venom. Worker wasps can often be seen sitting on fences gnawing at the timber. This is used to form a paste with their saliva that is used to extend the nest. By the end of the summer season, the nest will have grown to the size of a large football and a successful colony can consist of up to 5,000 wasps. At the end of the summer, males and young queens are formed within the nest. These leave the nest, mate, the males soon to die and the fertilised queens find suitable overwintering sites to begin a new colony the following spring.

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