‘Wasp nests are getting bigger by the day’, officials have warned - but what does this mean?

People have been warned that there have been bigger wasps nests for this time of year by Public Protection Service at Wiltshire Council.

Recently, they were called out to a large wasp nest in someone’s attic in South Wiltshire.

A spokesperson for the service said on Facebook: "Wasp nests are getting bigger by the day and we are getting lots of calls now. This was a wasp nest treated by Matt today in an attic in South Wiltshire."

The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald: Wasp nest treated in an attic in South Wiltshire.Wasp nest treated in an attic in South Wiltshire.

But Wiltshire Wasp Nest Removal, which is based in Swindon, believes that the wasp nests aren’t getting bigger, but there has been an increase of nests in the county due the state of the environment.

The very high temperatures, and dry conditions are thought to make the landscapes more welcoming for wasps.

A spokesperson for Wiltshire Wasp Nest Removal said: “This year in particular has seen a large increase of wasps across Wiltshire and the UK due to the hot, dry summer that we have had which is the perfect environment for them to develop.

“Wasp colonies are developed by a queen wasp that hibernate over the winter months, and this year more nests is mainly due to climate and warmer temperatures over winters therefore the queens have more chance of survival.

“At this time of year, the nests can peak and develop more and more queen wasps that set up further nests within their territory that they in therefor multiplying nests as many as four nests on one property.”

Wasps are also more protective at this time of year according to the business, meaning people may need to be more vigilant.

They added: “It is also at this time the wasps can be extremely protective of the nests and can cause great harm to anyone within their territory.

“It is also not just a health and safety issue; many wasp nests claim lofts and spaces under the guttering on homes which if left untreated will use any wooden structure and plaster boards by breaking down the fibres and building the nest out of.”

The British Pest Control Association says to keep wasps out of your home, you should keep windows and doors closed or use fly screens, keep bins shut and away from the home if possible, and make sure you check for nests early.