European Wasp

The European wasp (Vespula germanica) is native to parts of Europe, Asia and North Africa. Since the European wasp is an introduced species, it doesn’t have natural predators in Australia to keep its numbers in check. In Europe, the cold winters ensure that only the Queen wasp can live, but the warmer climate of Australia means the entire nest can survive. Some nests may contain more than 100,000 wasps.

Lack of predators and good weather conditions means that the European wasp is an increasing problem in Australia. This insect likes to live around humans because of the ready supply of food and drink, particularly of the sweet varieties.