Warm temps mean more wasps in the Netherlands this summer

The first half of 2022 was very warm, with lots of sunshine and little rain - perfect weather conditions for wasps, according to Nature Today. Wasp controllers throughout the Netherlands indicate that this year will see plenty of these stinging insects.

Along with 1990, the average temperature for the first six months of 2022 is the fourth highest in the past three centuries. Along with the sunshine and little rain, this formed ideal conditions for wasp queens to survive the vulnerable early period of nest formation, Nature Today said.

The first wasps are already being found in various places, indicating that wasp colonies are developing early this year. The first nests are already nearing the end of the nesting period, and the first queens and males are heading out. The workers of the nests are left "unemployed" and wander out looking for sweet things, like sweets and soft drinks.

"It is very likely that the nuisance season will start in mid-July," Nature Today reported. "Due to the early development, a second generation of wasps could also emerge this year, depending on the further course of the weather."

While most people consider wasps a pest, Nature Today stressed that they have an important function in the ecosystem. "A wasp nest with about 5,000 workers can catch around 100,000 insects daily. A great 'service' performed for free and for nothing."