Asian paper wasp are they dangerous.

I just found one on my blueberries, just wonder whether to let it be as they are good predators. here's a photo of it and you can see the end of my finger to get a comparison of size.

Attached files [IMG]http://app.lifestyleblock.co.nz/images/converted_files/482104=13502-wasp (Custom).JPG[/img]

I'd get rid of it even though I am a live and let live type of person. We get them around here and apart from the sting (worse than a bee or german wasp) they seem pretty prolific, we would kill a dozen or more nests each year and there aer always more popping up.

Not dangerous, I don't mind them but they are annoying! I always find them in our washing during Autumn - not fun when you go to get dressed and find there's a wasp in a sleeve or your jeans! The largest nest we've eradicated was football sized.

If you are allergic to their sting they can be dangerous.
I used to have to take antihistamines and each sting began swelling up more than the last.
I now put cider vinegar on the sting and there is no swelling and itching
They fly arund feb along wooden fence lines at mating time and you have to be careful opening wooden gates

If the sting is no worse than a bee I'm inclined to leave it alone, I mowed around the blueberries this morning and it took no notice, battery powered so no fumes. I like wasps as long as they are not around the house or were I can tread on the nest, they are great predators of greenfly, I've seen german wasp's clean up an infested tree in a day.

Muri, thanks for the reminder about vinegar, my last batch of cider vinegar would strip paint.

Yes, they are great predators and excellent with mealy bug as well.
I dont get any swelling if stung by bees but the wasps are something else

Aside from their predatory benefits, they also directly compete with bees.

On their plus side, they are very efficient at getting rid of all white cabbage moth caterpillars, but I don't like them because they will also deal with monarch caterpillars from egg to fully grown where they will slice up the pupating larvae as they change into cocoons.
There is a small plus for monarchs in that they will eat all larvae from November until about march when they stop, which will allow the swan plant time to set seed free of voracious monarch caterpillars, so you will get a bigger chance of seed setting for next year, but there is also a down side to that, in that unless you have a warm place to put the cocoons, the monarchs will hatch with crinkled wings as they need the heat to dry their wings when they hatch.
You need to be very careful removing the nest for disposal as they have sentries on guard duty and they will fly in to the attack if they feel threatened.

My opinion, is they are an invader, and while they may do some good, they also do harm, so I dispose of any I find.

Flyspray on the nests at dusk, then you usually get everyone in the nest.
Best to get rid of as many as you can as the numbers build up fast, and get rid of them before their mating either next month or the month after

Thanks for all the info, I've coated it's nest with carbaryl, Stikkibeek I'm growing swan plants for the monarch's so that was the clincher, my wife thought she had seen a wasp similar to the asian eating a monarch caterpillar, I have just read, once the wasp's find a source of food they keep coming back the the same plants, probably why some swan plants down the field have no caterpillar's.

The wasps don't actually eat the catepillars, they feed on nectar, but they do take catepillars to put into the cells for their larvae to eat whilst growing...