Did you know that we have approximately 9000 species of wasp in the UK?

Only 250 of these actually have a stinger, perhaps not as daunting as the numbers first appear.
The two most active wasps in the UK are the Common Wasp and the German wasp and these are the two most likely to sting you. In fact female wasps will sting repeatedly! A stinger despite its pin like appearance is actually more like a saw. It punctures and lacerates the skin so that venom can be pushed far under the skin whilst rotating its abdomen. Upon stinging you a pheromone is released alerting other wasps chemically that they are under threat. You are now a moving target!

It is a female wasps world...

Female wasps are very dominant and only queens will survive the winter. The rest of the nest will die off including all male wasps and the sterile female wasps.
A colony could have up to 25,000 wasps. The wasp activity you see in the summer will be the female workers emerging and continuing the nest building and with a taste for sweet foods, summer picnics and bbqs are ideal locations for foraging for a meal.

Wasp activity increases as the temperature rises so the best time to avoid them is early mornings and later in the evening when things are generally cooler! To avoid being stung avoid panicking and throwing your arms around. Staying still will help however if you feel the need to flee then run in a straight line this disturbs their natural flight pattern Cover your face as wasps will often direct their attack towards your face.
It is thought they cannot see the colour red so this maybe a good choice of outfit colour! Avoiding strong perfumes and aftershaves will help you to avoid attracting them; unscented sun cream is a sensible option. If you do get stung you may experience a little pain and swelling and itching however this should subside after a few days. If you experience difficulty breathing and dizziness these symptoms shouldn’t be ignored as these are signs off severe allergic reaction so seek medical advice. Antihistamines usually work effectively in reducing and relieving allergic reactions.

Tips for avoiding wasps

You could help avoid wasps by keeping rubbish and food sources covered and by maintaining your home and outbuildings to prevent them from using it as a nesting site. Rabbit burrows and compost heaps can also harbour a wasp nest so inspect your garden thoroughly!

If you are still experiencing wasp control problems then call a pest control professional immediately to remedy the problem today on: 0800 158 3885.