A precise diagnosis of the situation

Wasp species

Polists can be recognized by their tapered abdomen, tapering at the front and back, that of wasps and hornets is truncated at the front.

Wasps are black and yellow in color with spots and patterns characteristic of the species. Pubescence is absent (polistes) or sparse (wasps and hornets).

The hornets, significantly larger (up to 40 mm), also have shades of red on the thorax and abdomen.

Wasps and wasps measure between 15 and 25 mm.

Development cycle and social organization

Unlike other social insects, such as bees, ants or termites, the societies of wasps and hornets are annual.

In the spring, a female fertilized the previous year founds a new society. She chooses a location and begins construction of the first cells of the nest, lays the first eggs there and raises the larvae that emerge. After pupation, these larvae become sterile workers who continue building the nest and provisioning the colony. The queen then devotes herself exclusively to laying eggs.

At the end of summer, the eggs produce fertile males and females which will be fertilized.

At the first cold weather, the nest collapses and the entire colony disappears; only mated females overwinter in a natural shelter.

The nests are made from wood of various origins, transformed into paper by crushing. To make the paper used to build the nest, the wasp scrapes a piece of bark or a piece of wood with its mandibles. It tears off plant fibers while moving backwards. She then chews the dry material and adds saliva to form a dough ball. Back at the nest, the wasp applies this paper paste to the desired location, with its mandibles, always walking backwards. The fibers are aligned parallel to each other to give more strength to the structure. As it dries, the paper pulp transforms into an insulating and water-resistant material.

Completed, they vary in shape and size and can contain from a few dozen to several thousand individuals, depending on the species. Apparent or hidden, they are found in the most varied places: hollow tree trunks, roller shutter casings, chimneys, attics... in the tops of trees as well as in the ground. They are mainly spotted thanks to the daytime comings and goings of the workers who can go looking for their food quite far from the nest.

For example, Wasps of the genus Vespula build underground nests. They establish themselves in existing cavities, such as burrows abandoned by rodents, for example. Wasps enlarge the cavity as needed by digging into the ground and removing stones. We sometimes find small piles of stones at the entrance to the bee-eater. Certain species can also make their nest in dark places in our homes, for example under a gallery, in a shed, in an attic, or even in the walls and plenums of houses.

The food requirements are twofold: meat substances for the larvae (insect corpses, fragments of meat, etc.) and sweet materials (fruits) and animal or vegetable proteins (pollens) for the adults.

Nuisances

They are of several types:

Stings: these insects sting (except the males) and use their sting to inject their venom; they are likely to sting several times.

These very painful stings can, depending on their location (throat, neck, etc.) cause edema leading to sometimes fatal suffocation.

Very serious allergic reactions (anaphylactic shock), sometimes also fatal, occur in some cases.

Bites are just as dangerous for pets as they are for humans.

food degradation and pollution

disruption of the living environment, phobia of the proliferation of insects.

Processing obligation

Due to the inconveniences and dangers they represent, wasps, hornets and hornets are responsible for nuisances, against which the Departmental Health Regulations require the occupants of housing and premises for the preparation or sale of food to take precautionary measures. necessary protection.

Bees visible in France

Bees, recognizable in particular by their branched hairs. In France, there are 6 families, 15 subfamilies and more than 50 genera, for nearly 950 species of bees and undoubtedly more than half in the Mediterranean region.

To effectively treat a wasp or hornet nest we use a powder based on natural natural pyrethrin or pyrethrum. These dangerous biocidal products are not available to individuals. Injected with a pressure system (3 to 6 bars) directly into the nest left in place, each insect will become contaminated. This will lead to the complete extinction of the colony in a very short time.