What is it about?
Social wasps, or yellowjackets, are listed as amongst the 100 of of the world’s worst invasive species. In countries such as New Zealand their biomass per hectare can exceed that of all the birds and introduced mammals. They are voracious predators and competitively exclude native birds from resources. In this article we review their biodiversity, health and economic effects. These wasps appear to be increasing their range due to both climate change and human movement. We describe the exisiting approaches to wasp management including biological control, using other microbial diseases or insects as predators or parasites. We also discuss how new approaches may offer opportunities to control or even eradicate wasps from areas of their invaded range. Advances in genetic modification including gene drives might offer the potential to rid countries such as New Zealand of these wasps, while ensuring that native populations in Europe are maintained.
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Why is it important?
Wasps or yellowjackets are a substantial biodiversity, human health and economic threat. They are an example of an invasive species that have substantially benefited by human movement. Climate change and continuing human movement will likely benefit these wasps. How should we manage these populations? Whatever we do has risks and potential benefits. We highlight how new approaches that include gene drives might well be a viable and safe solution to such invasive species. This research forms part The New Zealand National Science Challenege - Biological Heritage programme for Novel Pest Contol Technologies at http://www.biologicalheritage.nz/programmes/risks/pest-control
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This page is a summary of: Invasion Success and Management Strategies for Social Vespula Wasps, Annual Review of Entomology, September 2018, Annual Reviews,
DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ento-011118-111812.
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