Summer sees an invasion of wasps

Wasps have been taking over lofts and garden sheds this summer, with a surge in complaints about the insects.

Experts have blamed the mild spring for the upsurge in insect numbers.

On just one day in the Stafford area pest control officers took 77 complaints from worried residents. Many cases involve nests being discovered in roofs, but empty bird boxes are also popular nesting places for queen wasps.

Stafford Borough Council and South Staffordshire District Council, which have joined up to deal with pest control, have handled more than 940 call outs. Between April 1 and July 31 staff received 641 requests in Stafford and 301 in South Staffordshire.

Principal environmental health officer Robert Simpson said there had been 586 complaints the year before.

"The season is not over yet and we are receiving on average 30 requests a day," he said. "On July 25 this year we received 77 requests in a single day. Nests are in loft spaces, garden sheds, garages, hedges and in the ground."

Treatment includes spraying the nest entrance with a white chemical powder carried inside on the wings, legs and bodies of the worker wasps. This kills the queen and grub wasps, stopping activity within two days.

Pest control officers at Walsall Council have been called out 640 times since April compared to around 400 last year.

Dudley Council said in the last 12 months it has received 1,200 calls compared to 930 the previous year. Sandwell has handled 657 calls since January and expects the figure to double by December.

In Lichfield district wasp cases are handled by MITIE Pest Control in a partnership agreement with the council which had received around 250 calls from April 2011. Only Cannock Chase had fewer reports with a drop from 271 last year to 229 in 2011.

Wolverhampton City Council has recorded 170 calls so far.