Taking the Sting out of the Common Wasp

Large-scale eradication may be in store for the humble wasp – a species responsible for one of the worst pest problems in Aotearoa.

This research is Completed

Overview Te Tirohanga Whānui

Wasps have massive impacts on native flora and fauna, along with parts of the production sector including grapes and citrus – and they’re also a public health issue and nuisance.

This BioHeritage project, led by Professor Phil Lester of Victoria University of Wellington, aims to deliver a significant change in wasp management, shifting from small-site control to eradication across large areas.

The researchers are developing four state-of-the-art technologies to combat wasps. This includes assessing their economic feasibility, social acceptability and how practical it would be to deploy them at a large scale.

The work is complemented by two other research strands:

    • the development of a wasp eradication strategy

The project presents a unique opportunity to trial new technologies and ideas to control wasps, contributing toward BioHeritage’s goal of creating a world-class biosecurity system for Aotearoa.

The research inspired Phil to write a book called The Vulgar Wasp that tells the story of Vespula vulgaris – the common wasp – and its impact on us and our biodiversity. In the book he explores how we can manage wasps and learn to live with them, and asks what they can teach us about the challenges we face for pest control.

Looking for more information?

If you’re looking for any outputs (papers, data etc) from this project that you don’t see on this page please visit our data repository.

Resource outputs from this programme

Publication

Fitness and microbial networks of the common wasp, Vespula vulgaris (Hymenoptera: Vespidae), in its native and introduced ranges

Variation in microbial communities between populations is increasingly hypothesised to affect animal fitness and performance, including for invasive species. Pathogenic species may be lost during…
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Publication

The association between mitochondrial genetic variation and reduced colony fitness in an invasive wasp

Despite the mitochondrion’s long-recognized role in energy production, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) variation commonly found in natural populations was assumed to be effectively neutral. However, variation…
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Publication

The Vulgar Wasp: The story of a ruthless invader and ingenious predator

In this book, entomologist Phil Lester describes the many fascinating and lesser-known sides of the common wasp. He asks: how can we manage wasps? Can…
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Publication

A metatranscriptomic analysis of diseased social wasps (Vespula vulgaris) for pathogens, with an experimental infection of larvae and nests

Social wasps are a major pest in many countries around the world. Pathogens may influence wasp populations and could provide an option for population management…
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Publication

Mitonuclear interactions, mtDNA-mediated thermal plasticity and implications for the Trojan Female Technique for pest control

Here we test whether the male-sterilizing effects previously associated with the mt:Cyt-b mutation are consistent across three thermal and three nuclear genomic contexts. The effects of this…
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Publication

Introduction of a male-harming mitochondrial haplotype via ‘Trojan Females’ achieves population suppression in fruit flies

Here, we provide proof-of-concept for the Trojan Female Technique (TFT), by showing that introduction of a male fertility-impairing mtDNA haplotype into replicated populations of Drosophila…
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Publication

Bringing the ‘Trickster’ wasp into the Discourse on Biotechnological Controls of “Pest Wasps”

Last year the New Zealand Government’s announcement of a “Predator Free NZ 2050” was accompanied by a target for a significant scientific breakthrough capable of…
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Publication

The long-term population dynamics of common wasps in their native and invaded range

We examined the long-term population dynamics of the invasive common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, in its native range in England and its invaded range in New Zealand.…
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Publication

Invasion success and management strategies for social Vespula wasps

Three species of Vespula have become invasive in Australia, Hawai‘i, New Zealand, and North and South America and continue to spread. These social wasp species can achieve…
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Publication

Notch signalling mediates reproductive constraint in the adult worker honeybee

Here, we demonstrate that chemical inhibition of Notch signalling can overcome the repressive effect of queen pheromone and promote ovary activity in adult worker honeybees.…
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Publication

Fitness in invasive social wasps: the role of variation in viral load, immune response and paternity in predicting nest size and reproductive output

Here we investigate how infections with Kashmir Bee Virus (KBV), immune response and intracolony genetic diversity (due to queen polyandry) affect nest size in the invasive common…
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Publication

The potential for the use of gene drives for pest control in New Zealand: a perspective. 

Genetic technologies such as gene editing and gene drive systems have recently emerged as potential tools for pest control. Gene drives, in particular, have been…
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Publication

Novel biotechnologies for eradicating wasps: seeking Māori studies students’ perspectives with Q method

Aligned with the New Zealand government’s ‘Predator-Free 2050’ target for Aotearoa New Zealand, National Science Challenge: Our Biological Heritage supports research into five distinct ‘novel…
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Media

The cutting-edge technology that could take the sting out of summer 

Wasps are a plague every summer, the unwelcome harasser at your picnic or tramping rest stop. Kathryn from Radio New Zealand talks to Gemma McLaughlin,…
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