Will the council remove a wasp nest from my section?

No. Queenstown Lakes District Council deals with wasp nests on council land, not on private property.

Do I have to control rabbits on my property?

Otago Regional Council says yes, on land you occupy, and that it doesn't do the control on private land. Rabbit numbers must stay at or below level 3 on the Modified McLean Scale. Rabbits may not be a job every pest business takes on, so ask when they ring.

Pest control Queenstown: wasps, mice and holiday homes

Wasps on the section

Give any nest a wide berth and keep guests and children away from it. Call 111 if someone has wheezing, a tight throat or swelling around the lips or eyes after a sting. For other sting questions, the National Poisons Centre is on 0800 764 766.

What's different in Queenstown

Your land, your job

Queenstown Lakes District Council says property owners are responsible for pests on their own land, and that it doesn't carry out pest control on private property.

What the council does on its own land

It manages pests on council land, including rabbit control, goat culls, broom removal and wasp nest destruction. Report a problem on council land in Queenstown or Wānaka to the council.

Wasps are a conservation problem here

The council calls introduced wasps a significant pest that harms native birds and insects.

Hot inland summers

NIWA says summer maximums in Otago can pass 30°C, especially inland. Hot, dry weather is when wasp numbers build.

Rabbits are on you too

Otago Regional Council says you're responsible for controlling rabbits on your land, and it doesn't do rabbit control on private land. The regional plan sets a maximum of level 3 on the Modified McLean Scale.

The regional plan

Otago Regional Council leads regional pest management in the district, and the district council must comply with its Regional Pest Management Plan.

Holiday homes and visitor rentals

A house that sits empty for weeks is quiet and undisturbed, which suits mice. Check the pantry, the hot water cupboard and under the sinks when you arrive, and leave nothing edible behind when you go.

Bed bugs travel with people. Health NZ says many people pick them up in luggage, and lists live bugs, cast skins, eggs and small dark marks as the signs. If you host guests, a quick look along mattress seams between bookings catches them early, and a bed bug treatment works better on a small problem.

Between guests

Look along mattress seams and bed frames for dark spots or tiny eggs.
Check the pantry and under the sinks for droppings.
Walk the section for wasps flying in and out of one spot.
Keep a note of anything you find and the date, for the pest business.

Wasps in the garden and on the deck

German and common wasps usually nest in the ground or in banks, and can get into a roof space. DOC says they go after protein in the warmer months, so a barbecue on the deck draws them in. A nest near the deck or the front door is a job to hand over rather than live with through a busy summer.

What we'd do about pests in Queenstown

On our own section, we wouldn't wait on the council, because it's been clear it doesn't do private land. We'd ring the council for a nest on a reserve or track. For anything at home, we'd tap what we've seen, and say if it's a holiday let so the business can work around bookings.

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.

What have you seen?