It’s a time of year traditionally associated with squirrels, hedgehogs and golden leaves.
But it seems this year autumn has come with a sting in its tail – in the form of wasps.
The insects traditionally start to hibernate or die off at the end of the summer but the unusually warm weather means they are still out in force.
Pest control experts anticipate call-outs, to deal with nests, will go on into December on account of the mild temperatures. Craig Morris, who provides pest and wildlife management services in Hampshire, has seen his autumnal wasp workload double compared to just three years ago.
He told The Mail on Sunday: ‘This year has been a very busy year for wasps because the weather has been so mild. These warmer winters mean the queens are surviving in larger numbers than usual.
‘It’s all very weather dependent. Last year, spring was very wet so many nests were destroyed by the rain. This year we had such a good spring, the wasps got busy straight away and this summer was my busiest period in 17 years.’
Mr Morris, who is currently handling five or six wasp call-outs a week, added: ‘Wasp numbers have been extraordinary all around the country.
And because we are not having the frosts we used to have in late autumn, more wasps are surviving. I expect I’ll be dealing with nests right into December.’
The insects traditionally start to hibernate or die off at the end of the summer but the unusually warm weather means they are still out in force. Picture: Stock image
Queens, which typically fly away from the nest to hibernate in September, are often mistaken for hornets on account of their size.
The surge in the number of queens surviving the winter is expected to result in more nests and even higher wasp numbers next year.
Following the warmest and sunniest recorded spring, this summer was also the hottest on record for the UK, according to the Met Office.
It heralded a ‘wasp boom’ –
an increase in both the size and number of colonies compared to previous years.
But while the increased presence of wasps might cause annoyance, the pollinators have a positive impact on the UK’s ecosystem.
Wasps are able to act as a natural pest control through preying on insects, such as caterpillars and aphids, which damage crops.