NOTICE: Wasptek bait stations are currently out of stock due to delays of materials for the manufacturer. Expected back in stock 1st week of April

Merchento are the proud manufacturers and suppliers of Vespex® ‒ a significant advance in wasp control. Our product range is set to increase, with some exciting new and innovative product developments underway, so make sure to check back from time-to-time.

Click on the wasp logo to go straight to Vespex® page

NEWS

New Book Available Now: Pests & Pestilence

The latest book by Professor Phil Lester, Pests and Pestilence is now available to purchase at a discounted price of $34.99. If you are interested in the history of invasive pest and disease management in New Zealand, and want to learn about some of the latest scientific developments in the battle against invasive species, then this is the book for you.

Confusion About "Vespex" in Australia

We have been receiving a few messages and complaints about a product called Vespex in Australia. This is a completely different product to the New Zealand Vespex and has no relationship to Merchento Ltd or any people associated with Merchento Ltd. We understand the Australian Vespex is a synthetic lure product that can be used in traps or mixed with a different product to make it toxic. It is disappointing that they chose to duplicate the Vespex name in Australia, rather than create their own brand, as this adds confusion for customers. Merchento does not endorse the product in Australia, and we have no data on either its effectiveness for wasp control or whether it is safe for bees or other non-target species.

Wasp and Bee Books on Offer

We are delighted to be able to offer two popular books written by one of New Zealand's foremost entomologists, Professor Phil Lester of the Victoria University of Wellington. These are at a discounted price of $27.00 each or get a bundle offer of both books for $49.90.

For everyone wanting to learn more about wasps and the problems they cause in New Zealand, we recommend The Vulgar Wasp ‘A riveting account of an extraordinary animal. Lester engages readers in the biological complexities and wide-ranging impacts of a “scary” wasp as an excellent example of controversies swirling around biological invasions.’ — Daniel Simberloff, Professor of Environmental Studies at the University of Tennessee and author of Invasive Species: What Everyone Needs to Know.

For the bee-keepers and bee-lovers out there, we also have Healthy Bee, Sick Bee, which discusses all the threats faced by bees, including parasites, pathogens, predators and pesticides. Published in 2020, this book pulls together the latest scientific research from around the world and presents it in a refreshing and easy-to-read manner, with an unashamed focus on the New Zealand context.

Wasp Wipeout

The very successful Wasp Wipeout campaign is now heading in to its sixth season, with wasp control sites being planned in many parts of the country. This is a fantastic initiative between Stuff and Department of Conservation and adds significantly to the land area where Vespula wasps are being controlled.

IMPORTANT NOTICE RE SHIPMENTS OF VESPEX® TO THE NORTH ISLAND

The shipping regulations regarding all material classed as dangerous goods means it has become increasingly difficult to ship Vespex® to the North Island. This adds at least 24 hours to delivery times. In addition to this, we have begun to experience issues with some rural service providers refusing to carry items classed as dangerous goods (DGs) to rural addresses, but we are unable to determine in advance which rural addresses might be affected. Even if a rural delivery service will take DGs, it will add an additional 24-48 hours to delivery times. The combined effect of this situation is that we cannot deliver Vespex® to any North Island address classed as rural by our courier service provider. If you know your home address is likely to be rural, please provide an alternative delivery address in town (e.g. a relative's house or a store you have a working relationship with). Alternatively, please contact us and we will provide the address of your nearest Post Haste agent.