Hug a wasp urge boffins as fears pest numbers are actually in sharp decline

Boffins have urged people to be kind to wasps amid fears the numbers are in sharp decline.

A call has gone out for the public to rally around the stingy pests amid concerns they have faced a washout year.

Researchers fear the wet spring and a cool start to the summer have made it hard for queens to find new colonies.

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Whilst people sunning themselves in beer gardens and barbecues might enjoy being stung less, experts say the consequences could be dire.

They say the insects help keep pest numbers down and also pollinate certain plants.

Professor Adam Hart, of the University of Gloucestershire, said: “All the signs are suggesting that it’s a very poor summer for wasps.

“The cool, wet weather seen earlier this year would have made it hard for queens to establish new colonies.

“While that may sound like great news if you’re out on a picnic, wasps play a crucial role as pollinators and natural pest controllers, keeping on top of insects that feed on crops and garden plants.

“There are many anecdotal stories from the public and pest controllers suggesting there aren’t too many around this year. I’ve certainly not seen many, but we need solid data to go alongside these sorts of reports.”

They are asking the public to contribute to the Big Wasp Survey, in which volunteers are asked to make a wasp trap out of a plastic bottle filled with 200ml of beer. The trap needs to be left outside for seven days.

The results may also provide an insight into the spread of the invasive Asian hornet, which eats native bees and wasps.

Professor Hart added: “We know already that wasp populations tend to cycle: we have always had ‘good’ and ‘bad’ years for wasps.

“Certainly, a pattern of changing climate is likely to affect many creatures, including wasps. Wetter, cooler springs could well be a problem in the future but at this stage it is too early to say what might happen.”

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