The rise in temperatures is the heyday of wasps

“It's the first time that a wasp bothers me so much in the middle of Paris. It's very annoying. It is 11:30 am. Khaan, sunglasses on his forehead, is having breakfast on the terrace of a café in the 15th arrondissement. As he spreads jam on his toast, he has to stop several times to chase a wasp spinning around him. A few streets away, in a bakery, Malika is busy serving her customers. “In our region, wasps attack raisin breads and rum babas. We tried everything… ”she sighs. Before adding that some customers had sometimes "screamed" when others did not even come back. Antoine, on vacation in the south of France, he had to take an antihistamine to calm the swelling in his hand after a nasty injection. Wasps are thriving this summer. Here's how to keep them at bay.

Why are wasps more present?

“There are more nests than in other years,” confirms Pascal Guichard, president of the Xera company, which specializes in disinsecting homes. Rising mercury and drought are good for them. “I have ten interventions a day, against a daily one last year, in town and in the countryside. It's just catastrophic, ”he adds.

In winter, wasps die and hide. “They will wait until spring to create new colonies. Summer is the peak, ”explains Julien Vicaire, beekeeper in Seine-et-Marne.

How not to confuse them with bees?

The bee measures between 11 and 13 mm, against 11 and 18 mm for the wasp. The latter is more yellow and black, when the bee is less colorful. Another characteristic, during the sting: “The bee loses its sting and dies. Conversely, the wasp can sting several times, ”explains Julien Vicaire.

How to get rid of it?

Attracted by sweet food, but also salty, wasps do not hesitate to come and sting in our plates to bring food back to their colony. “The wasp is opportunistic. She'll go where it's easiest, ”says the beekeeper. “We can't do much except stay calm,” says Samuel Jolivet, director of the Office for Insects and their Environment (Opie).

But a few techniques exist. To attract them away, "you have to put a sweet drink a few tens of meters from the table," adds Julien Vicaire. Another tip: "Burn coffee grounds" near you. It acts as a repellant.

Some, more radical, use an electric racket to kill any wasp on the grid. A widely used product today. On vacation in the Allier and Lorraine, Christel claims to have seen “wasps everywhere”. “Before, everyone used to pull out a fag or a fork. There, many had bought a racket, ”she adds. Effective as long as you endure the slight crackling of those who have let themselves be trapped.

What to do in the event of a wasp nest?

It can easily form in a wall, under a roof or in a chimney. It is then the assurance of being annoyed all summer. Better to let the professionals act. "It is dangerous for individuals to remove it themselves, the risk of being stung by many wasps is high," says Pascal Guichard, who intervenes with protective suits. How does he do it? “We locate the nest. If possible, we withdraw it. If it is inaccessible, chemical treatment is required. "

Is there a risk of allergy?

In most cases, a wasp sting causes immediate pain, redness and edema "which heats up and itches", indicates Madeleine Epstein, allergist in Paris. “You can have an allergy. But without a history, you should not worry, ”she says. If the swelling is large and spreading, you may be having a reaction. If in doubt, see an allergist or call 15. Also check if the bites are numerous.