Common Wasp

Appearance

Adult workers measure approx. 12-17mm from head to abdomen whereas the queen measures in at approx. 20mm
Has aposematic colouring of black and yellow
Has a sting capable of delivering a sting a person or object it deems to be life threatening, multiple times.

Habitat

Nests can often be found in the eaves of buildings, within attic areas and also within the wall cavities of properties
Wasps often use air bricks and vent weep holes to access the wall cavities, removal of nests if this is the case is not always possible, however once treated it is best practice to carry out correct proofing
Use pulped wood to construct the nests throughout the year as the colony grows internally as does the nest.
Requires sugar to gain energy, which they obtain from nectar or fruits.

Life cycle

Queen lays egg in a wax cell, the worker wasps feed the hatched larvae
Larva reaches full growth, and the worker wasps seal the cell
The larva become a pupa and when fully grown the adult wasp leaves the cell
The life cycle of a wasp colony begins in early spring with a new queen wasp and ends in winter with the death of the colony’s queen.