yeh, PLEASE! don't use any sort of sugar base for your poison.
concerned beekeeper.

bufferzone wrote on Apr 11^th, 2018 at 3:10am:

yes I can see problem if you are setting baits out in open etc but lobbing a package into of very very near a nest should eliminate risk to bees.... those hot bummed little german sewing machines will vacume up anything in no time and take it into nest,even if it had immediate 100% kill of wasps there would be stuff all left to put bees at risk....if they would even go near a dead nest site.

A while back someone on this forum mentioned a particular poison mixed with a coupla sardines - if every hunter laid a couple of these baits surely there must be a decline in nests? Or as mentioned why doesn't DOC supply this poison to every hunter/tramper  thats willing to place them ...? cost them zilch!

Info about the new wasp bait and stations at this link:

https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/methods-of-control/wasp-control...

Could easily be done by trapping contractors while they go about their business of trapping.

Of course, DOC will have to start employing trappers before they can control wasps over large areas. Unfortunately, aerial 1080 isn't very effective at controlling wasps.

gonehuntin wrote on Jul 16^th, 2018 at 3:59am:


Yes, wasps will feed on possum carcasses. Wasps will feed on any protein rich food when they need protein for the development of the young wasps.

When wasps reach their highest densities they are considered to be the N0.1 predator as they not only feed on other insects they also kill bird chicks on the nest. The raiding of the honey dew is only a part of the wasp diet.

I heard a DOC scientist, interviewed on RNZ, and he said that wasps can reach a bio-mass of more than the total bio-mass of all the introduced animals in the native bush. Individual wasps may be small, however, their combined weight, bio-mass and predator status can place them well above all the possums, rats, stoats, cats, ferrets, hedgehogs, etc as far as damage to native species go.

As for the idea of adding wasp poison to possum carcasses, this would, not only, poison the wasps, but, also everything else that would feed on the carcasses.

There was an experimental programme where 1080 was added to canned sardines, with the initial results looking good for controlling wasps. I never heard why this 1080 option was shelved.

This new wasp deal seems to be ideal, as the bait is only presented when wasps are feeding on protein, is presented in a way that targets wasps and is only available for the few days it takes to control the wasps.

gonehuntin wrote on Jul 16^th, 2018 at 11:15pm:


One of the positives for employing trappers is that they are already working in the bush and have established permanent trap-lines. After the trap-lines have been set up the trappers are carrying very little into the bush and could easily set up wasp bait stations at very little additional cost.