Hot weather and wasps keeping pest control companies busy

An Edmonton pest control company says it has been busy dealing with wasp nests around the city.

Ryan Frawley owns Active Pest Solutions. He said his company has been receiving up to 10 calls every day – and he’s expecting more.

Although city officials say wasp numbers are not actually up this year, the warm weather means more people are spending time outdoors, bringing them into contact with the insects.

As the summer continues, it will be more common to see exposed nests hanging from the eaves of houses or underneath decks, Frawley said.

"Weather like we are having right now today is perfect for wasps. It makes them very very active. And really they are only going to get more active through this month and probably next month too."

And wasps aren’t the only insects that thrive in the hot, dry temperatures.

“The hotter it is, the more other bugs are out and [wasps’] main food source is other insects, so the more flies and stuff that are flying around in this warm weather the more food there is for them.”

When Frawley is called out to a nest, he said the most important thing is to make sure the queen and brood are killed.

“That's what really counts, the individual wasps can't live without a queen or a brood. So once they are dead, the nests are dead,” he said.

Edmontonians who spot a wasp nest on city property can call 311 and parks pest management staff will remove it.

On private property, it falls to the owner to remove the stinging pests – which the city says should not be done without professional help.