Overview
- Local outlets in several UK regions have amplified a late‑August advisory from the British Pest Control Association warning that wasps feeding on rotting fruit can become inebriated and more likely to sting.
- The BPCA says the behaviour is linked to a normal late‑summer change in colonies when workers seek sugary food after the queen reduces egg laying.
- The association urges people not to disturb nests and to contact trained BPCA members for removal only if a nest is in a busy or high‑use area, noting those members meet the BS EN 16636 standard and are endorsed by TrustMark.
- Practical steps to reduce encounters include careful disposal of sugary household waste, avoiding swatting or waving at wasps, and calling 999 immediately if signs of anaphylaxis appear after a sting.
- Experts stress wasps’ ecological role as pollinators and pest controllers, so advice focuses on targeted, professional action rather than indiscriminate killing, and on simple public behaviours that lower sting risk.