The weather this summer is not only playing tricks on sunbathers and BBQers, but also on the wasp population which has reduced in number, according to environmental association Natur&Ëmwelt.

"There are still nests, but they are very small: they are almost the size of an orange, whereas last year they were the size of a football, sometimes even double the size. There is no comparison,” says Eddy Boland, founder of the company RHS Hygiène Service, backing up the Natur&Ëmwelt findings.

In 2020, his company removed 1,500 wasp nests in Luxembourg. “We may remove another 100 or 200 nests in the next two weeks, because with the good weather, people are spending more time outdoors and are starting to see nests,” he says.

Towards a harmonious cohabitation

Natur&Ëmwelt has some tips on how to avoid possible encounters with wasps:

The environmental organisation believes that the extermination of a wasp nest "is not necessary" and considers it "a very last resort". Eddy Boland agrees, but points out that in the event of repeated stings, the nest becomes a nuisance and removal is required.

Fewer wasps, fewer queens

"The wasp is not in decline at all, it is not protected, it is not endangered," says Boland.

But the exceptionally cool and rainy summer of 2021 has considerably reduced the wasp population and therefore the number of queens likely to create new colonies next year. A milder-than-normal winter could lead to fewer losses in this population, and thus encourage a resurgence of colonies next year if the spring and summer are mild. "It's nature's way of regulating insect populations," says Boland.

This story in French on Paperjam. It has been translated and edited for Delano.