Wasp control is always weather dependent. Seasonal changes can see colonies bloom but wetter winters and cooler summers can have an opposite effect on wasps.
Last October I went to a training session in Leeds to be greeted by an area sales manager from one of the major distributors of pest control products.
"How has your wasp season been?" he asked with a kind of knowing look on his face.
"A complete disaster" was my reply.
I had hardly treated any wasps nests or ants for that matter. In fact, the whole insect season of 2015 just didn't happen for myself and many others who reported the same at the training session.
Queen Wasps and seasonal weather
2015 was a poor season for pest controllers but great for our customers.
The winter was quite mild which means it could be a perfect start for increased wasp activity as many of the queen wasps would survive overwintering. The queen wasps hibernate over winter before re-emerging with the warmer weather in the spring to start new colonies. A very cold prolonged winter can kill off many of the queen wasps which can sometimes result in a quieter season.
However, last year, whilst the winter stayed mild, the spring and summer stayed cool and very wet which resulted in a very poor season with little wasp activity. So if you had a wasp problem in 2015 you were very unlucky!
Will it be a waspy summer?
I am already getting call outs for ants nests and the mild winter months promoted an increase in activity of cat and dog fleas which suggests that it could be a busy season, but I’ve been ‘bitten’ (pardon the pun!) before and much will depend on the weather.
Sooooo…. Could it be BBQ weather and with it more of those pesky wasps? Or, like last year, will the BBQ be kept under cover? We will have to wait and see if 2016 will indeed have a sting in its tail!!!!!
This months tip from the Pest Doctor:
Don’t be a hero when it comes to wasps nests, I’ve heard too many horror stories from DIY wasp enthusiasts getting badly stung. If you think you have a problem don’t mess around, call the Pest Doctor on 07525 442564. There are no home/quick fix remedies on wasp nests. Please be safe.