Covered head to toe to protect himself against wasps, apiarist Arnold Grech (picture, first from right) yesterday took on a colony of between 30,000 and 40,000 German wasps which had set up home under a metal sheet in a neglected room by the driveway of an uninhabited house in Birkirkara.

They are a dangerous variety and the operation to eradicate them involved Mr Grech spraying three chemicals from two manually operated pumps.

For a full half hour, he sprayed the chemicals from the top and bottom openings of the comb, which had five entrances in all.

He then broke down the comb to make sure that all the wasps were destroyed - with a blower at hand, which as it turned out he did not use but which he had by him... just in case.

Mr Grech said the comb had established itself in a hole in the wall and spread out.

The German wasp, Vespula Germanica, is yellow with dark stripes. Its danger is that it attacks en masse. It is also carnivorous, and finds it no problem to attack and kill a rat, for example.

Mr Grech said he has destroyed seven colonies in the same area since late July.

"I would like to appeal to the public not to meddle with this type of wasp and to go to the right people to do something about them. These wasps are very dangerous and I have seen a donkey, dogs and pigeons killed by them," said Mr Grech.

Yesterday's operation, which cost Lm20 to Lm25 in chemicals, is being paid for by the owner of a residence next door, Peter Debono, who felt threatened by the huge numbers of wasps, introduced originally in Malta to control pests.

The wasp has, however, established itself and has been found to form colonies in double walls, chimneys and false ceilings.

Before turning to Mr Grech for assistance, Mr Debono sought help from the agriculture department, the civil protection department and the bees control unit, Birkirkara council and the Birkirkara health inspector - but none was able to assist him.

He said the Environment Department only started showing an interest in the matter after Mr Grech became involved.

Mr Debono said that on Thursday he was contacted by Melvin Magri from the Bees Control Unit who told him that the unit was not authorised to do such work as it was dangerous and they did not have the protective safety equipment.

Mr Debono has asked the Environment Department if he would be reimbursed for his expenses but he has not been given any reply.