VESPEX waging war on wasps

Tasmanian primary producers have learned firsthand about Australia’s first integrated monitoring, trapping, and remote nest-baiting program for European wasps.

Melbourne-based family business Sundew Solutions has developed VESPEX, which the company showcased at a recent event at Bream Creek Vineyard.

VESPEX targets and monitors early insect activity, followed by seasonal trapping of queen wasps to reduce the number of nests that form each year.

“VESPEX is a whole strategy, not a single product,” Sundew Solutions founder David Priddy said.

“It’s about understanding the insect, timing treatments correctly, and working with trained professionals so the community gets long-term results, not just a temporary fix.

“If we act early, act smart, and act together, we can win the war on European wasps.”

Historical records show that in 1999, some Tasmanian growers suffered yield losses of 10-20 per cent due to wasp activity.

Wasps damage grapes, berries and stone fruit, and pose risks to pickers and vineyard workers, with conservative estimates indicating that the insect is responsible for more than 10 per cent of yield losses.

“Our growers put their heart and soul into producing premium fruit,” Mr Priddy said.

“It’s devastating to see that work undermined by an invasive pest that we can control if we take the right approach.”

Mr Priddy was inspired to act after a 2019 incident in which a seven-year-old was stung 200 times by wasps after stumbling upon a nest at a playground at Braidwood, New South Wales.

In the past 20 years in Australia, seven deaths have been attributed to European wasp stings.

“European wasps aren’t just a summertime annoyance,” Mr Priddy said.

“They pose a serious public-safety risk, and we can’t afford to treat them as just another backyard pest.”

Coincidentally, it was at Braidwood where the VESPEX technology had a breakthrough.

A community program deployed 36 VESPEX Dominator traps in the town, each of which caught more than 100 queen wasps.

Removing at least 3,600 queens prevented an estimated 14.4 million workers and 3.6 million next-generation queens from ever emerging.

VESPEX users can also take advantage of a training program offered by Sundew Solutions to learn how to use the technology most effectively.