Upper Yarra
6 Tuesday, 24 March 2015
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■ Two sheep die after being stung by the insect found in plague proportions...
Killer wasps By KATH GANNAWAY SEEING two sheep die after being stung by wasps has been a horrible experience for Don Valley resident Rick Houlihan. “The wasps are attracted to the saliva around their mouths and they snap at them, the same as they do for flies,” said Mr Houlihan who, along with his neighbour, has killed 15 nests on their properties in the last two weeks. The problem for sheep, and potentially for other animals, is that the wasps, which are in plague proportions all around Yarra Ranges, keep stinging if they are swallowed and can cause swelling that blocks the airways. It’s distressing, and Mr Houlihan doesn’t have to imagine the pain. He was stung 20 times last week when he disturbed a nest and says the initial pain is excruciating, and three days later the area stung was still red and itching like crazy. “It’s a horrible feeling,” he said, explaining how his leg disappeared down to the kneecap. He was fortunate that the nest was one he had killed off, but the disturbance raised alarm bells with wasps in a nest nearby who responded to the threat by attacking. Mr Houlihan believes his situation may have been even worse if he hadn’t had a can of wasp spray with him which he used to kill off the attacking wasps as he ran the 300 metres to his house. Mr Houlihan’s view that climatic conditions have been ideal this year for wasps to breed up is supported by Yarra Ranges Council which told the Mail it is reportedly the worst wasp season in 20 years. Director, Environment and Engineeering, Mark Varmalis, said the
Rick Houlihan inspects the bank of the Yarra River on his Don Valley property in search of European wasp nests. 136526 council had received 324 requests to remove nests over February and March, and that 312 nests had been destroyed as a result. “Mild winter and summer weather conditions have caused an increase in wasps. This is a state-wide issue with many areas impacted,” he said. While council has responsibility for nests on council-owned land, Mr Vermalis said nests on private property were the responsibility of the land owner.
He recommended that anyone who finds a nest contacts a pest control expert to assist with destroying it. “If you are aware of a European wasp nest on your neighbour’s property, we encourage you to talk to your neighbour about taking action to destroy the nest,” he said. “If you are unable to resolve the issue with your neighbour, you can report it to our Health Department, who will inspect the site and advise the land owner to destroy the nest.”
Mr Houlihan warned against leaving food outside for pets. “They are attracted to any sort of moisture, if you leave a bone out for the dog, even the moisture from cut grass will attract them,” he said. He urged anyone with a nest to on their own property, or a neighbours, to take action to eradicate them before next season. “The problem is that we don’t have a deliberate eradication program, and the queens will be back to create more
Picture: ROB CAREW
nests next season,” he said. Museum Victoria records show that the European wasp first came to mainland Victoria in the late 1970s. The bad news is that is has spread to most other states and, they say, it is here to stay. “Eradication is no longer an option,” they say on their website. The good news! “Despite early reports labelling it as a “Killer Wasp”, no human deaths have been recorded in Australia.
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