Lancashire residents warned to expect a summer plague of wasps

Pest experts have predicted that Lancashire is due to face a bumper amount of wasps due to the mild Spring weather.

Rob Simpson, leader of independent pest controllers register BASIS PROMPT, is expecting a huge rise in both the number and size of nests.

He said: “The annual wasp population in the UK is very much dependent on weather conditions.

“The number of nests seemed to be down significantly in 2013, but there was a substantial increase last year when numbers returned to something like normal.

“Colder winters often mean there are more wasps about the following summer as mated queens spend the period deep in hibernation.

“If it’s milder in December and January, wasps become restless and use up their food reserves. They then have nothing left to forage on, so they die.

“This year, temperatures were relatively cold during the winter and have so far been warm in spring, so we’re expecting our members to receive a deluge of calls.”