Overview

• Multiple outlets report substantially more wasps this year than in 2024 across Germany.
• Workers have shifted to sugary foods such as cake, fruit juice and ice cream, increasing encounters at outdoor meals.
• German conservation law protects wasps and their nests, with deliberate killing punishable by state fines that can reach €65,000 and limited exceptions for severe allergies.
• Guidance emphasizes staying calm, avoiding frantic motions or blowing, covering food and drinks, and using nonlethal deterrents like strong scents, basil plants or paper-bag nest decoys.
• Activity is expected to taper from September, with most colonies collapsing after the first frosts while only queens overwinter.