The polistes fuscatus, better known as the “wasp” very often invades our gardens in summer. This year, flying insects are proliferating everywhere in France. The professionals are overwhelmed, already assured France 3 last June. It’s a “wasp summer”, and we must be extra careful.
“As we had a temperate spring, the queens came out of hibernation quite early, from mid-March. The first nests appeared in mid-April and that is why today we have nests that are already the size of those that should be found at the end of July or beginning of August, that is to say that of a basketball”, confided David Kato then, specialist in the destruction of nests, on France 3.
How to get rid of it effectively and spend a more serene summer?
The traditional wasp bait, which consists of filling a bottle with a sweet mixture in order to attract them and trap them there, does not always work. Why not try out these hot new tricks? Discover them in our slideshow.
If your garden is invaded by wasps, it is possible that a nest is present on your land. A wasp nest can contain up to 10,000 individuals, said David Kato on France 3.
Most often, yellow and black insects build their habitat in trees, eaves, or even attics. Take a good look at these places at home!
“The first step to keeping wasps out of your attic is to seal cracks and crevices. You can use polyurethane foam to fill the areas where they can enter”, specifies the site achzine.fr.
If you want to get rid of a nest, be careful: it is better to call a professional. You risk being bitten by these little beasts.
Do you find that the wasps are more numerous than in previous years? You are right ! And the whole country is affected. The mild temperatures of this winter and the dry weather of this spring have something to do with it. “We estimate that 90% of future queens usually die during the winter due to cold or lack of stored food,” Éric Darrouzet of the Institute for Research on Insect Biology and researcher at the University of Tours.
Consequence: the number of interventions has exploded since the beginning of the summer. “I have had to do 150 to 200 interventions since the beginning of July. It’s already as many as last summer (July and August 2021 combined)”, confided a specialist to the Parisian. The various episodes of heat waves have caused these insects to approach us en masse. According to Mathieu Flores, entomologist and project manager at Opie, interviewed by actu.fr, “when it’s hot, they fetch water. But with the high temperatures and the drought, the hottest water points accessible are often those close to humans”.
