If you hear the sound of buzzing and see a striped insect flying in the direction of you and your lunch, this can really get the adrenalin pumping and, in some cases, can have you running very fast in the opposite direction. For those that fear wasps, the bad news is that the warmer weather we have experienced over the last few months may mean another rise in the number of these pests this year.
Nick Collinson, managing director of Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions, who provides pest control in the Felixstowe, Ipswich, Woodbridge, Colchester, Manningtree and Braintree areas, said: “The number of callouts to tackle wasps varies wildly each year, and is weather related.” If it is a wet and windy spring, for example, this can affect the number of wasps and delay the development of colonies through to autumn.
“It is too early to tell at the moment whether there will be a rise in the number of wasps this year but if it is an early spring, as it has been, the queens come out of hibernation earlier. So, depending on the weather, we can expect a large number of wasp related callouts.”
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Wasps hit the headlines in late August last year as pest control experts nationwide noticed a sharp rise in the number of these pests. After coming out of hibernation over the long winter, the late summer provided plenty of food.
These pests can build nests in homes, businesses, and even out in the open countryside in fields, banks, trees, bushes and in abandoned underground burrows. And, with the right habitat, and abundant food, it is estimated that there can be as many as 1,000 wasp nests per square mile.
Wasps also present a risk in urban areas where they build nests in gardens and porch ways and also at height – close to windows and in the roof voids of properties. This is not only a nuisance, it can also be very frightening for the occupants – especially the more vulnerable such as the elderly and the young – and it puts them at risk of being stung.
Mr Collinson said: “If wasps nest under tiles they can eat through the plasterboard ceilings and fly into the bedroom, which can be quite harrowing, especially as you can get thousands of wasps in a nest.” The average is 2,000 to 5,000 wasps per colony, but it is possible to get up to 20,000 in a nest.
Wasp Removal: Suffolk and Essex
Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions are one of the few pest control experts in the Felixstowe, Suffolk and Essex areas who have specialised equipment to tackle wasps at height. They have 8 metre fibreglass extension lances, which can blow dust up into the nest to kill off the wasps over a 24 hour period.
Other methods to tackle wasps include spray treatments, which are used when the wasps pose an immediate risk to people and the nest requires urgent removal (near schools or parkland for instance). Staff at Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions follow stringent health and safety guidelines for wasp removal, including the use of bee suits, veils and face masks, to prevent contact with the pesticide.
Wasp traps are another method of tackling these pests and are a popular buy for people in the hospitality industry, such as pub, bar, cafe, restaurant or hotel owners. Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions not only sell wasp traps, but will also provide recommendations on the most effective places to site them.
Facts About Wasps
Only the female wasps sting, which they do using a tube which is connected to a sac which pumps venom into the victim. Unlike bees, one wasp can sting their victim several times. Wasps can also secrete distress chemicals when attacked to attract help from other wasps.
What Role do Wasps Play in the Ecosystem?
Although feared by many people, wasps do play a vital role in the ecosystem and are a food source for some common garden creatures such as hedgehogs, and birds, including house wrens and bluebirds. Wasps also seek out grubs and insects such as caterpillars, mosquitoes, houseflies, and greenflies, and they can steal from spider’s webs to feed their young.
Sky News Recently Featured an Article on the Asian Hornet making its way to the UK – Is it Likely to Pose a Significant Threat?
The Sky News article back in May revealed that the insect had been sighted in France and could make its way over the Channel to the UK.
However, Essex and Suffolk Pest Solutions haven’t had any callouts in relation to this type of pest in Felixstowe and Suffolk and, on average, only get 2 - 3 callouts a year to tackle hornets’ nests – but get hundreds of calls for wasps.
A spokesman for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was quoted in the article as saying that it was likely the cold weather would prevent these insects from living successfully outside of the most southern parts of the UK.
For pest control in the Felixstowe, Suffolk and Essex areas, contact the experts by clicking on the link below.
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