Wasps in the roadside areas of Gahnia Grove

There are a huge number of wasps in the sunlit area alongside the road opposite 227 Glenfield Rd, foraging on the ground and entering the rawirinui in the canopy, only about 4m H here. Densities in sunny periods are such that we dare not disturb the ground litter and mulch, which we know covers many cracks in the ground after prolonged soil moisture deficit, and care has to be taken, walking slowly and scanning, to avoid bumping onto them, with several passing each second at times.

Contractors for Council have removed two small paper wasp nests from beside the cordon where they were encountered while pruning a toatoa and low branches of a totara. A search of the surrounding area by the contractor has not disclosed any Vespula wasp flight paths of sufficient density to indicate immediate proximity of a nest, and we have now asked Council to bait the area with Vespex, since protein foraging activity appears to be high, and the likelihood of nests overwintering is extremely high in this location where temperatures remain high throughout winter.

Any progeny of the forest gecko will be vulnerable to wasp predation, the high invertebrate populations nurtured in the restoration area are probably being consumed right now, and birds as well as reptiles will suffer from the competition for nectar.

We ponder the impact of the wasps on the high numbers of plague skinks in this sunny area of deep dry mulch, where these tiny lizards scuttle constantly away from vibrations of our footsteps.

A sugar water wasp trap has been made according to a beekeeper's youtube video, with vinegar to discourage bees, and detergent to reduce buoyancy of any wasps trapped. We dont expect this to reduce numbers noticeably, but it may help indicate the numbers present.

Posted on March 25, 2021 08:35 PM by kaipatiki_naturewatch