The Invasive Wasps Project is a research project with both eradication/infestation control and communications components. The IWP project is managed by a consortium of researchers from the following institutions: Stellenbosch University, the South African National Biodiversity Institute, the University of Cape Town, the Agricultural Research Council, CapeNature, and Iziko Museums.
The project is researching the feasibility of eradicating both invasive wasps from South Africa or, failing this, investigating ways to prevent their spread to new areas outside their current, limited distribution. This is necessary to avoid future human injury, and large scale biodiversity and economic impacts.
How you can help?
We are still pinpointing the exact distribution of both wasps in South Africa. If you see either of these wasps, please:
– Provide us with clear, close-up photographs
– Provide us with locality information – any landmarks or GPS co-ordinates will help us locate the wasps
– Provide us with details of Vespula germanica nests or large (larger than A5 paper size) Polistes dominula nests.
– Give us your contact details in case we need to follow up
See attached for more infoWasps brochure4
