Norm wrote:

Dear Trish

I have had no experience with European Wasps or with tracking
insects. However I do recall many years ago
reading about Australian Aboriginal techniques for tracking native
bees to their hives. I think they used to
catch one and stick some white fluff onto it which made it easier to
follow through the bush. Perhaps a risky
technique with European Wasps!!

However, I googled "tracking native bees" and as expected I found a
native bees enthusiasts' site. These people
seem to know more about native bees than anyone needs to know, and
some of them must know how to track insects through the bush. Despite
the neighbours' fences I think that tracking them in the suburbs will
probably be easier than in the bush. From the sound of the web page
the native bee people would probably be a helpful group, and I think
they would probably share your hostility towards European Wasps.

From other people's comments, it does seem as if finding the hive
would be the ideal place to start.

The link is http://www.aussiebee.com.au/abol-011.html

Yours

Norm


Hey, thanks for that, Norm! What an interesting site - there's so much
to find out about our native bees, isn't there? I often wonder whether
your average bloke even knows we have them?

As it turned out, I managed to catch about two dozen wasps in a
coke-bottle trap and gently helped them to pass away (thank you Mr
Pea-Beu). Only a couple came to the garden next morning and after a few
days of heavy rain, they appear to be gone. Hooray! We can sit in the
garden again! :-D

--
Trish Brown {|:-}

Newcastle, NSW, Australia