Here comes the sun, and so with it the wasps!

Friday 11/08/2023

The weather reports look to show that, finally, we are going to get some summer sun! But PestFix predicts that with hopeful glorious weather, that wasps are going to become a particularly noticeable annoyance this year. 

Wasps are generally not an issue in spring and early summer. They are around but they are worker wasps hunting for small bugs to take back to the nest to feed their developing babies (grubs). The grubs produce a sweet sticky substance that is the food source for the worker wasps. 

Each nest will generally have 1 breeding queen, which dies towards the end of the summer. She lays the eggs that become the grubs, without these grubs the worker wasps don’t get their sugary food. This is when wasps start looking for a sugar fix elsewhere and humans are a fantastic source for sugary foods. 

The poor weather this summer has led to more failing nests than normal, which has lead to larger numbers of hungry workers. The poor weather has meant that sugar sources are harder to find, particularly as we haven’t been enjoying a beer in the garden or an ice cream at the park.

So what does this mean? 

A concentration of particularly desperate wasps during a week where everyone will be outside desperate to enjoy the brief summer sun. 

What can I do to stop wasps causing me trouble?

PestFix are the experts in pest management, training professionals and advising the public every day. When it comes to wasps our advice is:

• Keep your space clean. Food, drinks, used glasses, wrappers, spills, cans, recycling etc. If you clean these away then wasps haven’t a source of food. When you pick your picnic spot, avoid being close to bins.


• Keep YOU clean. A child's sticky fingers, food debris on your clothes and even your sweat will entice wasps. 


• Use a lured wasp trap. A disposable bag with an effective wasp lure will draw wasps away from the area you want to enjoy. More eco friendly is a reusable wasp trap that you can bring out every summer. 


• Have an instant kill spray handy. You could either go for a chemical insecticide or a chemical free spray, particularly good for use at a BBQ when you don’t want chemicals getting into your food. 


• Understand that the wasp is hunting for a sugar fix. You can get away with swatting a wasp if it was spring/ early summer, but late summer you’ll have desperate insects whose instincts are to sting to kill prey. And sometimes that means relinquishing your half drunk can of fizzy pop! 


• If you have a nest, then call a professional in to treat it. They have the knowledge, equipment and protective gear to kill a wasps nest fast and safely.

Whenever we talk wasps, we also highlight the dangers of being stung. If you have been stung before and haven’t had an allergic reaction, it doesn't mean that next time will be the same. Sensitisation occurs when your body reacts to the venom of a wasp or bee sting, this means you could become allergic after 1 sting, or only after many stings over the course of your life. Stay safe this summer!