This might be news to you if you have discovered a Wasps Nest in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley or Cannock but some parts of the country are not seeing as many wasps nests as ususal for this time of the year.
Despite their bad reputation and tendency to disrupt picnics, wasps are an important part of our ecosystem.
During this time of year, it can seem like most outdoor activities are plagued by the flying insects… but they appear to have lacked their usual numbers in 2024.
Colder and wetter weather and climate change have had a global impact on the invertebrates.
The change has been monitored by gardeners, experts and pest controllers, but what do wasps do, why do we need them and will they return?
Although pesky for visitors, wasps are accidental pollinators and play a valuable part in the pollination process.
And without wasps, the world could be overrun with spiders and insects, according to the Natural History Museum, external.
Each summer, wasps in the UK capture about 14 million kilogrammes of insects such as caterpillars and greenfly, making them important friends to gardeners.
Peterborough-based insect conservation charity Buglife said it was not just the East of England that had seen a fall in wasp numbers but the whole of the UK.
It said this was “almost certainly a direct consequence of the wet weather”, winter flooding and general dampness leading to mould growth, impacting the winter survival rate.
“Many wasp nests are created in the ground and will also have been severely impacted by the further flooding across the country in spring and early summer,” said a spokesperson for the charity.
“A loss of wasps will impact us in a number of ways.
“It leads to reduced pollination, and without wasps our plants are more likely to be eaten by insect larvae otherwise controlled by wasps.”
If you do have a problem with wasps and find a wasps nest in Wolverhampton, Walsall, Dudley or CannocK Call Anti-Pest Pest Prevention Services for a Fast response to remove the wasps nest safely. https://anti-pest.co.uk/