Warm weather brings out creepy-crawlies

SUMMER time and the living is easy – for stinging, biting, swarming insects.

Experts have recorded soaring numbers of complaints about creepy-crawlies due to the warm weather.

Reports concerning ants increased by 73 per cent, wasps by 39 per cent and flies by 30 per cent from May to July compared with the same period last year, according to pest controllers Rentokil.

David Cross, who heads the company’s technical training academy, said: “The mild wet winter and last year’s ‘Indian summer’ have contributed to a significant spike in pest activity this summer. In particular we have recorded significant increases in enquiries regarding ants, flies and wasps.”

This year’s mild winter allowed more fly pupae to survive and hatch as soon as warmer weather set in, he explained. Flies laid eggs in batches of 30 to 500, each of which had the potential to develop into a pupa and finally an adult.

Similarly, more ants had managed to remain alive in their nests over the winter to emerge in greater numbers as temperatures rose.

Mr Cross added: “The increase in wasps is most likely to have been driven by the warm and dry autumn experienced last year.

“Male wasps die off in cooler months as the queen goes into hibernation, but due to the mild weather wasp activity continued well into the autumn, allowing more time for breeding and creating more queens to come out of hibernation this year.

“Once active they start building their nests and laying eggs to create new worker wasps incredibly quickly, and large nests are capable of producing up to 25,000 wasps in a single season.”

Mr Cross said the best way for residents and businesses to discourage flies, wasps and ants was to “exercise good hygiene habits”. He said: “They are constantly scavenging for something to eat, so putting away food, cleaning up mess and ensuring garbage is collected regularly are simple precautions we can all take.”