Summer heatwave has caused an epidemic of wasps and flies with a 400 per cent increase in their numbers (and it is expected to last until mid-October!)
- Rentokil figures reveal wasp enquires rose by 369% in July compared to 2017
- The increase is caused by the heatwave creating ideal breeding conditions
- Both wasps and flies have been thriving in the hot weather in the UK
- Wasp enquiries increased by 153 per cent month on month from June to July, and fly enquiries increased by 55 per cent
1
View
comments
The unusually high temperatures created by the summer heatwave has seen wasp and fly numbers soar.
July’s hot weather caused an an almost 400 per cent increase in numbers of the stinging insect when compared to the same month of 2017.
Experts say the heatwave has created the perfect environment for the insects to thrive and it is expected to last until mid-October.
Scroll down for video
The unusually high temperatures created by the summer heatwave has seen wasp (pictured) and fly numbers soar. Pest control company Rentokil has revealed wasp enquiries rose by 369 per cent in the month of July when compared to the same time period last year (stock)
Pest control company Rentokil has revealed wasp enquiries rose by 369 per cent throughout the month of July when compared to the same time period last year.
Over the same time period fly-related enquiries have also increased by around 20 per cent.
This year flying insect activity has also worsened throughout the year, with month on month figures revealing wasp and fly enquiries increasing by 153 per cent and 55 per cent respectively.
David Cross, head of the technical training academy at Rentokil Pest Control comments: ‘The hotter weather has caused wasps to venture out more which lowers the mortality rate inside the nest, meaning more people will come into contact with them.
‘In cooler summers wasps stay inside their homes and generate more moisture, leading to an increased risk of fungal infections in the insects that cause some to die of natural causes.
‘Queen wasps will emerge from hibernation in mid-April and start building their nest in a suitable location.
-
Does this huge golden horse head prove the Romans and German… Amazing animation reveals how much Earth’s continents have… Hackers steal the details of 20,000 Superdrug customers –… Huge cannibal alligator eats a baby rival so it can have…
Share this article
‘Depending on the species this could be in the ground, compost heaps, wood piles or in buildings behind air bricks or in attics.
‘The queen will lay eggs in cells within the nest which will take just 5 weeks to develop into sterile female worker wasps in favourable conditions.
‘Over the course of its development the nest could be home to some 19,000 wasps with up to 5,000 live wasps being resident at its peak.
‘The lifecycle of a fly is also sped up in warmer weather. House flies will lay between 500 and 900 eggs usually in batches of 100 to 150.
‘Development from egg to adult can take as little as 7 days in 30°C (86°F) heat and when they reach adulthood they will breed almost immediately.’
WHY DO WASPS STING AND WHY DO THEY HURT SO MUCH?
Wasp stings are common, especially during the warmer months when people are outside for longer periods of time.
They tend to occur in the later summer months when the social structure of the colony is breaking down.
At this time, the group mindset is changing from raising worker wasps to raising fertile queens, which will hibernate over the winter to start new colonies the following spring.
Once the wasp has laid eggs, she stops producing a specific hormone which keeps the colony organised.
This leads to the wasps becoming confused and disorientated and they tend to stray towards sweet smelling human foods, such as ice cream and jam.
This puts them in the firing line of scared and frenzied people which aggravate the animals with wafting hands and swatting magazines.
When the critters become angry and scared they are prone to stinging.
Wasp stings can be uncomfortable, but most people recover quickly and without complications.
It is designed as a self-defence mechanism but, unlike bees, wasps can sting multiple times.
The stingers remain in tact and are often primed with venom which enters the bloodstream.
Peptides and enzymes in the venom break down cell membranes, spilling cellular contents into the blood stream
This can happen to nerve cells and these are connected to the central nervous system.
This breach causes the injured cell to send signals back to the brain. We experience these signals in the form of pain.
There are chemicals in the wasp sting which slows the flow of blood, which elongates the period of pain.
Experts say the heatwave has created the perfect environment for wasps and flies (pictured) to thrive and multiply and it could last until mid-October (stock)
The increase in wasp numbers is bad news for picnic-lovers but is good news for gardeners as the flying insects help combat plant-destroying insects such as caterpillars.
Wasps have a protein-rich diet as they survive by predominantly eating insects.
They take this protein back to the nest for their larvae to eat and the young animals then produce a sugary substance that the adults ingest.
The queen of the colony stops producing eggs in late summer and this is when wasps become a problem for humans.
As the larvae are no longer around to feed the adults with their secretions, they become a nuisance to people as they seek out a replacement food source.
Mr Cross added: ‘It is important that consumers take care of their rubbish properly.
‘Ideally, food and drink waste should be disposed of in a sealed bag or container to help prevent attracting insects such as wasps, flies, ants as well as other pests like rodents and birds too.
‘Where possible, food and drink should also be stored in sealed containers to avoid attracting insects.’
This increase in wasp and fly enquiries follows a rise in ant-related enquiries earlier in the year, which increased 148 per cent from March to April, after an unseasonably warm April.
Source: Read Full Article