Wasps make a lot of people nervous. This year, the striped buzzers are getting more attention at the coffee tables. According to experts in Saxony, there are several reasons for the large population at the moment.
Leipzig (dpa / sn) - They like to buzz over the breakfast table or help themselves to sweet drinks: According to Saxon experts, wasps are more present this year. Due to a rather warm spring without a longer cold period, more queens and colonies have apparently developed, explained Sabrina Rötsch from the Leipzig Nature Conservation Association (Nabu). Rötsch offers telephone advice on questions about wasps, hornets and bees.
At the same time, with the high temperatures and a lot of drought, there is little food left for the pollinators in summer. "The growth of many plants is inhibited, wild plants produce fewer flowers and nectar. Flowering meadows dry up and the usual protein-rich food that is needed to raise the brood, such as smaller insect species, is reduced in midsummer," said Felix Ekardt, who Chairwoman of the Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation Germany in Saxony (BUND).
As a result, the striped buzzards increasingly use human food and are increasingly noticed. Rötsch emphasized that it was primarily the common wasp and the German wasp, which gave the insect its bad reputation. Many other species are completely harmless and do not necessarily come to the coffee table.
In order to protect oneself from the animals, the experts advised above all to remain calm. "Blow on is completely wrong, it puts the animals on alert," said Rötsch. It makes sense to cover food and drinks outside. Wasps are attracted to meat and sweets. And: "If you're relaxed, you can let the wasp do it - they also have a hard time," said the Nabu expert.
