Wasp infestations close Niagara Falls playgrounds

Yellow tape cordons off equipment after problem surfaces

Knowing the rather dated playground equipment in their neighbourhood park was due to be replaced this year, more than a few residents living around Theresa Park off Gail Avenue in Niagara Falls’ north end thought construction was imminent when they saw the playground cordoned off starting last week.

The feeling was that the yellow tape around the equipment meant it was about to be removed, and shiny new equipment and artificial turf was coming, said Rick Hall, who lives across the street from the park.

“There’s a lot of curiosity into this on what’s going on,” he said Tuesday. “A lot of people thought they were starting construction.”

On closer inspection, though, those who ventured further into the park saw unusual notices posted around the playground on poles with the yellow tape.

The notices said the playground is closed due to an infestation of sand wasps, which have burrowed into the sand playground bed.

Marianne Tikky, manager of roadways and parks for the city, said one of her crew members was in the park fluffing up the sand recently so it would be soft enough for frolicking kids and children hitting the ground from the slide.

All of a sudden, wasps started flying out of the ground, she said.

“We didn’t want a child or an animal to get stung,” she said. “We’re trying to get rid of the nests.”

The city called its pest control expert to spray, but because it’s a playground only lower-concentration pesticide can be used, meaning several applications are required, said Tikky. Some heavy rainfall also washed away some of the pesticide.

The city is in the midst of an

aggressive push to redevelop its parks and playgrounds, rapidly improving them and replacing old equipment with modern playground structures and artificial turf that replaces wood chips and sand that Mayor Jim Diodati frequently points out can hide cat feces or syringes. The initiative has been dubbed Operation Awesome Playgrounds.

But because there are still about 21 playgrounds with sand or wood chips, Tikky said city staff visited them all to check if others are infested with ground wasps like Theresa Park was.

“We found nine locations where they (wasps) were buried in the sand,” she said. “As soon as you kick it, like a child playing, they (wasps) come out.”

The treatments are expected to get rid of the wasps soon, said Tikky. The infestations won’t hamper plans to replace 10 more of the playgrounds this year, including the ones as Theresa Park, Kitchener Park (5491 Lewis Ave.), Alexander Park (5421 Alexander Cres.), Althea Park (6162 Althea St.), Brookfield Park (7053 Brookfield Ave.), Corwin Park (6475 Walter Ave.), Alpine Park (7830 Alpine Dr.), Fern Park (7516 Fern Ave.), Glengate Park (4190 Pettit Ave.) and Meadowvale Park (7148 Briarwood Ave.), said Tikky.

Those projects this year are expected to cost about $1.6 million in total.

Theresa Park and Glengate Park will also get premium tennis/pickleball courts and multipurpose basketball courts.

Hall said he frequently sees parents heading to Theresa Park with strollers and young children who play on the slides. He said he’ll be happy to see the playground redeveloped.

“I’ve been waiting for this to be replaced for a long time,” he said.

Tikky said while the artificial turf surfaces won’t hide bad things like syringes or cat poop, they still require some maintenance. “We need to sterilize it and fluff it so it doesn’t get matted,” she said.

And while the artificial turf can get hot enough in the sun to make it uncomfortable for bare feet, people have responded positively to it at the redeveloped parks, said Tikky.

“They all love it,” she said. “It’s cleaner. It’s visually appealing.”

The issue of hot artificial turf should be resolved once newly planted, small trees at redeveloped parks provide shade, said Tikky.