Bavaria is threatened by a wasp plague: the weather plays a decisive role in it
Created: 08/03/2022 05:36
By: Thomas Eldersch
In Bavaria it was too hot and too dry for a long time.
Ideal conditions for insects such as wasps.
They could become a real plague this year.
Hilpoltstein – You've hardly made your first loaf of bread or fetched the first sausage from the grill when they are already buzzing around you.
Wasps are real nuisances when eating outdoors.
When they help themselves to the snack in droves, like at a buffet, many simply run away or beat the animals to death. And now there is even a real plague in Bavaria.
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Wasp plague in Bavaria: August is the worst month
The reason for a possible wasp plague in Bavaria this year is, of all things, the good weather.
It has been too dry so far this year.
Insect expert Tarja Richter from the state association for bird protection from Hilpoltstein in central Franconia (Roth district) knows that it is ideal for wasps.
"If it continues to be so dry, it will develop into a wasp year," predicts the expert.
Especially in the north of the Free State it was too dry for a long time.
Wasps are considered a nuisance, but they can make a significant contribution to nature.
© Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
With August, the hot phase for the yellow-black-striped insects begins.
According to the expert, the wasp generation is now reaching its full size.
New queens and males are produced - accordingly, the colony needs a lot of food.
Food that the wasps pick up at the garden party - whether cake, jam or cola.
Wasp plague in Bavaria: Simple tips against the annoying animals
However, anyone who hunts the animals and calls them pests is doing them an injustice.
Biologist Richter emphasizes that wasps also make a useful contribution to the ecosystem.
Among other things, they pollinate crops and wildflowers in a similar way to bees.
They also like to eat caterpillars of pests or kill other pests such as mosquitoes and flies.
In addition, not all wasps are the same.
The expert knows that there are several different types in Germany.
Only two representatives get on people's nerves: the common wasp and the German wasp.
Other species such as the red wasp or the Saxon wasp usually leave us alone.
There are also numerous tips to keep the animals at bay.
The recommendation of the State Association for Bird Protection is to spray the wasps with a water spray bottle.
They think it's raining and retreat to their nest.
However, it is important that the bottle has been cleaned well.
Because cleaning agent residues can harm the animals.
Another tip from the expert is: Cut grape halves a few meters away, which the wasps could fly to.
And hanging up a crumpled, brown paper bag nearby should also help.
The animals are led to believe that another people is already occupying the territory.
(phone with dpa)
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