Rotorua woman plagued by swarming wasps from next door

A Rotorua woman says she is forced to shut herself inside her home as “millions” of wasps from a neighbouring property swarm around her house.

Lynne Coutts says she is allergic and could experience severe swelling if stung.

She says she believes the wasps that recently began invading her Ngongotahā property come from an underground nest in the large vacant section next door, but has struggled to contact the landowners to discuss a solution.

Coutts says she contacted two councils and was initially told they could not help but now hopes her wasp woes will end after a Rotorua Lakes Council visit yesterday.

Coutts said the wasp plague started late last month and was worst in hot weather.

When the wasps were bad, Coutts said she would shut herself inside and watch as her bird feeder was “smothered” by the stinging pests.

Her dogs’ kennel was in the pests’ path so she would bring them inside too.

Sometimes the swarm would be so thick her husband could not do work outside.

“You couldn’t move for bloody wasps.”

Coutts said the neighbouring land was overgrown and near a stream, making it an ideal home for the pests.

She said she had not seen a landowner there in more than 20 years, and her frustration at the situation peaked as she struggled to find the owners.

Coutts said she was willing to pay for pest control but could not act until she spoke to someone about it.

“It’s not on my land.”

When Local Democracy Reporting visited Coutts at home last week, wasps were darting around between her garden and the vacant property over the fence.

Coutts said there were hundreds around that evening as they headed back to the nest.

The cooler weather had brought some reprieve from the “millions” of wasps previously seen but she said she feared the nest would get bigger come spring if not dealt with.

Coutts said she called both Bay of Plenty Regional Council and Rotorua Lakes Council about the wasps on February 29, but told Local Democracy Reporting she understood from the initial response the situation was considered “not their problem”.

The regional council lists wasps as an advisory pest.

Its biosecurity team leader Shane Grayling said it empathised with Coutts’ situation but could not enforce the control of wasps under its pest management plan.

Wasps were too “well-established” in the region to be included in the plan.

“Advisory pests are acknowledged to be invasive and we will support landowners with advice, but do not have the large-scale funding to follow-up on boundary complaints and general sightings.”

“The landowner could look into technology such as pheromone traps, to attract the queen wasp.”

Rotorua Lakes Council district development general manager Jean-Paul Gaston said the regional council was the lead agency for pest management.

“Following Mrs Coutts’ initial call an inquiry was made with our regulatory team last week.”

He said unless something caused a “verified” health nuisance under the Health Act, the council had no legal powers regarding maintenance of private property.

“Her husband was informed [on March 1] they would investigate if anything could be done under the Health Act and if that isn’t possible, they will write to the property owner to pass on their concerns and encourage them to do something about the wasp nest.”

Coutts disputes she or her husband were told someone would investigate the property or follow up with the owner.

On Friday afternoon a member of the council’s health team contacted Local Democracy Reporting to request Coutts’ contact information.

Coutts said after this she got a call and was told the “council is going to deal with it”.

The council said it would inspect the site with Coutts and “determine the appropriate course of action”.

Coutts said she met with them yesterday morning and was grateful.

She said she was also “very pleased” to have been contacted on Friday by someone with links to the landowners who offered to help facilitate a solution.

Laura Smith is a Local Democracy Reporting journalist based at the Rotorua Daily Post. She previously reported general news for the Otago Daily Times and Southland Express, and has been a journalist for four years.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.