Can anyone identify these wasps (or bees?)?

[David M]

I went for a walk in Brimbank Park in Melbourne today and saw these wasps (?) in an underground nest. I made a video of them for YouTube but before I upload, I would like to know what they are. They were very busy so the picture is blurred, sorry. Position coordinates: Latitude/longitude: 37° 43' 46.7" South, 144° 49' 44.2" East ( -37.729644, 144.828953 )

[simonm]

European wasp

http://australianmuseum.net.au/european-wasp

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-05/w ... ks/6073826

[vb1971]

Yep definitely European wasps

[David M]

Thanks simonm. I didn't realise they were nasty pests. Lucky I took the GPS coordinates so Parks Victoria can go and destroy the nest.

[simonm]

They can be very intrusive. We get them in our house regularly. In Victoria when we were travelling we regularly had them invade our BBQ's and they would just come and land on our food. My wife had one land on her food whilst she was putting it in her mouth, luckily she spat it out before it stung her. Nasty things.

[David M]

I have now uploaded the video to YouTube and it is at http://youtu.be/mEiOgtoXrcM Thanks simonm for identifying these out-of-place creatures.

[stry]

Don't wait for Parks.

If you're close by, mark the spot with some fluoro tape, buy a puffer pack of wasp dust, go back at night and puff at least half the pack down the hole, making sure it lines the tunnel going in.

The *&%$#! should be all dead by the next morning if you give 'em half to two thirds of the pack.

[MickyB]

If you're close by, mark the spot with some fluoro tape, buy a puffer pack of wasp dust, go back at night and puff at least half the pack down the hole, making sure it lines the tunnel going in.

If you are going to do this put some red cellophane over your torch as the wasps (like a lot of animals) can't see red light.

[stry]

If you're close by, mark the spot with some fluoro tape, buy a puffer pack of wasp dust, go back at night and puff at least half the pack down the hole, making sure it lines the tunnel going in.

If you are going to do this put some red cellophane over your torch as the wasps (like a lot of animals) can't see red light.

A widely held point of view, and a good idea if one is concerned BUT, it isn't necessary. If you hold a soft white light so that the hole is at the edge of the beam, you will have no problem (at least I never have )

If you point a nice, bright white, LED powered beam square down the hole, they get moving a bit, but not instantaneously. I've never been curious enough to leave said bright light pointed down the hole for a protracted period - it's hard to sprint cross country in the dark .

[corvus]

Those Wasps are a pest here in Tas and I remember them in plague swarms in Pine Hut Plains a couple of years ago and glad to walk through them safely, at home they are mostly solo and when they come inside I get rid of them with one of two methods ,the clap and the crush.
When flying I target them and clap my hands, quick demise or when they land I crush them with my thumb messy demise do not like killing any creature until they invade my home space Mossies included .(all must be here for a reason )