Avoid getting stung by jobless drunks

As people around the country continue to enjoy the last of the summer sun, they might do well to beware of the potential sting in its tail.

With an abundance of wasps evident after a particularly good breeding season, it seems some are scrambling for their last sweet treat and becoming the “archetypal drunk” in the process.

As worker wasps finish supplying their queen with nectar, they lose their sweet syrupy reward for doing so, according to Paul Hetherington of Buglife Conversation Charity, and are turning into jobless, aggressive drunks, gorging on fermenting fruit. “As we get towards the end of August, grubs have hatched into queens and the worker wasps no longer have a purpose in life. They’re junkies looking for their next fix of sugar and they’re very bad drunks,” he says.

After a cold, wet winter when the wasp population in Ireland and Britain fell dramatically, it seems wasps are now making the most of their time in the sun.

As the summer ends, they are increasingly forced to forage for high-carb foods, which brings them in contact with people more so than usual, especially those consuming sugary drinks at picnics.

Experts advise avoid irritating the pests, covering drinks and, if stung, applying a mild acid, or get medical advice.