Found a wasp nest? Do this first
Keep kids and pets away from it, don't go near the entrance and don't try to deal with it yourself. Wasps can sting repeatedly and get extremely aggressive if the nest is attacked. Check cans of drink outdoors, because they crawl in unseen. If someone stung has noisy breathing, a swollen tongue or throat, wheezing or dizziness, call 000.
What makes Hastings different
The Shire doesn't do private nests
Mornington Peninsula Shire says it doesn't provide a wasp removal service on private property, and that the safest way to deal with a nest is a pest control expert. For wasp nest removal in Hastings, that means a pest business comes out, not council.
The whole Shire is designated for termites
Under Regulation 150 of the Building Regulations 2018, the entire Shire is designated as subject to infestation by termites. It's a rule for new building work. The Shire adds that termite protection needs ongoing maintenance to stay effective, which is easy to forget a decade on.
Mangroves on the doorstep
The Shire says the coast from Stony Point to Somerville has some of the most southerly mangroves anywhere, and Western Port is a Ramsar wetland of international importance. Warringine Park's boardwalk runs between Jacks Beach and Hastings, and high tides flood the mangrove forest beneath it. Expect mosquitoes near the water in warm weather, and treat that as a season to prepare for, not a pest to fix.
Bees, possums and the rest
A swarm isn't a wasp nest. The Shire says swarms generally aren't aggressive unless provoked and usually move on within a few days, so keep children and animals back and call a beekeeper rather than a pest business.
Brushtail possums can nest in a roof; ringtails rarely do, the Shire says. It's illegal to harass or interfere with possums, and they mustn't be harmed. Proofing is the answer, and our Melbourne possum page sets out Victoria's catch and release rule.
Looking for Hastings somewhere else? Port Macquarie's Hastings area is on our Port Macquarie page.
Getting a wasp nest dealt with
Watch from a distance
Most European wasp nests are in the ground or inside a building. Look for a steady line of wasps going into one spot.
Check whose land it's on
A nest on Shire property gets reported to the Shire. Foragers can travel half a kilometre, so it may be next door.
Get a pest business in
Tell them where the nest is, who lives there and whether anyone's allergic.
What we'd do in Hastings
Sort any wasp nest first, because that's the one that can hurt someone. Then find the paperwork for your termite system, or book an inspection if there's none. Tap what you've found and your postcode whenever you're ready.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
