Wasp calls on the rise as Manitoba has 'ideal environment' for insect

WINNIPEG -

Manitoba has had a dry and hot summer and while that has allowed people to enjoy the great outdoors it has also been the perfect conditions for a rather annoying pest.

Orlando Fagerstrom Castro, the owner of Cordero Pest Control, said he has been dealing with an increase in calls to deal with wasps over the past few months.

But specifically, in the last 10-day period, he has received close to 200 calls just to deal with wasps.

"It's been increasing every year, but we get the odd year where it just gets out of control, right? And when temperatures reach 35 (degrees), it just creates an ideal environment for these guys," said Fagerstrom Castro.

While people usually associate wasps with being aggressive, he said if they are feeding and you remain calm around the insects, they won't sting or bite.

Fagerstrom Castro also has advice for people on how to prevent wasps from nesting at their homes.

"Sealing cracks and crevices, underneath your front steps, the steps in the back in your house, cracks and crevices in your stucco," he said. "If you can't remove the nest, it always becomes challenging to remove the population."

He said when the nests are hidden or hard to reach, it can take several hours to remove them completely.

Fagerstrom Castro recommends if people are having problems with wasps, it is always best to call professionals to get rid of them to ensure they don't come back.