Wasp Control

Since September 2019, Wasp Patrol have trapped over 2,400 queen European wasps across the Lithgow LGA.

Since September 4 2019, Ken Bird of Wasp Patrol and his volunteers have trapped over 2,400 queen European wasps within the bounds of the Lithgow local government area. This is a significant effort, with some weeks seeing over 500 queen wasps trapped alone.

Each year, Ken maps where traps have been installed and keeps logs of the number of queens trapped over time. This allows the volunteers of Wasp Patrol to identify hot spots and target those areas in subsequent years to ensure that their efforts are most effective for the Lithgow community.

“With nests being mostly underground, they can be difficult to identify,” said Ken. “However, we teach simple methods of locating nests and trapping queens which can be safely performed by any willing member of the community. We appreciate every single one of our volunteers and hope to continue making Lithgow a safer place through our yearly program.”

“It really is a noble cause; Ken and his volunteers don’t charge anyone to provide their assistance in wasp control,” said Mayor Thompson. “However, as is always the case, resources are limited and every service comes at a cost. Any member of the community can make donations to Ken and his volunteer organization, or provide assistance through the setting of traps in their own backyard. Anyone who wishes for further information should visit the Wasp Patrol website at http://www.wasppatrol.info. They also have a Facebook account which can be found by searching for ‘Wasp Patrol’. I encourage all those interested to make contact, and see how they can help.”

While trapping season is finished, residents should remain observant and report sightings of wasps for recording and action. Any member of the public can avoid alluring wasps by reducing open air meat, fruit, pet food and drinks on their property. If stung, please clean the sting area, apply ice/cold pack to the sting area and take pain killers and antihistamines as needed. In severe cases, please phone an ambulance on (000) immediately.