Wasp menace grips Bexhill

Estimates have revealed an increase of 50 per cent more wasp nests reported to Rother District Council than in previous years.

And town stores are having a bumper run on special powders and foams to discourage the winged menace.

The insect invasion even led Rother's own Pest Control service to stop accepting paid work for ten days and enlist temporary staff to cope with the influx. Experts have cited several reasons for the increase, which culminated in a very hot spell over the last month.

One suggestion is more queens were produced in last year's hot summer and many have survived the mild winter.

And there are warnings of extra large nests appearing next year.

A Rother spokesman said: "While the nests that are active will die along with this years queens in them, the juvenile queens will hibernate; over wintering in warm cracks and crevices under roof felt and the like.

"These queens will emerge next year to start a new colony. While old nests will not be used again it is not uncommon to see what appears to be a huge nest in loft spaces. This is due to the new nest being attached to the old one."

Residents have been rushing to specialist stores such as Warburtons, in Station Road, to purchase the equipment to tackle the nests.

Owner, David Warburton, said: "We have certainly had more people than usual coming in for wasp repellent. People don't come to us for aerosols for the odd wasp, because you can get those from the supermarket. The fact that we have sold a lot of wasp nest treatments indicates there are a lot of nests."

Mr Warburton said the treatment comes either as a powder or, if you can see the nest, a foam. "We have, I would have said, had to bring in more of it than normal," he added.

Warden of the High Wood Preservation Society, Alan Malpass, admitted wasps can be a pest, but stressed their importance to the natural order.

He said: "It's all about the balance. They can be a bit of a problem, especially if you are allergic, and generally it's best not to annoy them, because they do have a habit of coming after you.

"They actually do a lot of good, feeding off the aphids and other nasties that cause problems in the garden."

The Pest Control Service can be contacted for help and advice on 01424 787548. They charge 45 for each treatment, but Rother remind residents they can choose to use private companies.

The wasp season is expected to run until around October.