Autumn is not always the mellow season it’s made out to be. Here, it brings an unwelcome visitor to torment us.

Introduced to Tasmania in 1959 and to Victoria in 1977, and with no natural predators, the European wasp is currently at plague proportions. It threatens insect and spider populations, ravages fruit crops and jeopardises honey production, as well as driving anyone who attempts to eat al fresco completely berserk. Here’s a brief rundown of the modus operandi of this dangerous nuisance.

In Winter the male wasps die off while the newly-mated queens hibernate until Spring, when they establish a new nest.

After one Summer a nest could have up to 5,000 wasps; in its second year up to 100,000 wasps. The adult wasps – which we’re currently being driven mad by – emerge in early Autumn.

Nest sizes vary from about 15cm to about 5 metres. They’re found in the ground, in wall cavities, roof voids, tree stumps and rockeries – anywhere that’s well-hidden and easily accessed by these winged tormentors.

If their nests are disturbed, wasps will swarm out to attack and they’ll sting multiple times. I’m told that their stings are extremely painful and those I know who’ve been stung are extremely reluctant to venture outside if they see even only one wasp.

Worker wasps are 12-15mm long. Queens have similar markings but they’re larger, growing to about 20mm in length. They feed on sweet substances, insects, spiders and meat from carrion or pet food bowls.

If you want to track a wasp back to its nest, place some meat in a visible location outside and wait for the wasp to arrive. Once it’s taken its portion, it’ll fly straight back to the nest. If you don’t see where it’s gone the first time, re-locate the food source and follow the wasp again. 

Whatever you do, don’t interfere with a European wasp nest. When provoked, they’ll always attack. Call your local council for advice, or call in an expert to destroy the nest. 

You can limit the number of European wasps around your home by picking up fallen fruit from trees, ensuring that rubbish and compost bins have tightly fitting lids and by covering food during a barbecue or picnic.

And if you leave a can or bottle of drink outside, don’t swig straight from it because – at this time of year – it’s likely to contain a wasp. A sting in the mouth or throat will not only be excrutiatingly painful, it could be life-threatening. Keep drinks covered or drink them from a straw.

To learn more about this deeply disturbing invader, including first aid treatment for its sting, click here.