Forum Topic

Wasps! Takeover of Stamford Brook Common.

Down on the common today - there were thousands, swarms, of wasps. The wasps are colonising the holes all over the common. The holes have been made by people with metal detectors at night, increasingly lately. But now each hole is full of wasps tunnelling. I suspect the weather/season is a factor but I have not seen such a wasp invasion in 20 years of using the park. I'd really like to stop the late night detectorists with their shovels anyway as the holes are a genuine broken bone hazard - but the wasp thing is quite odd.

Michael Laird ● 2239d16 Comments

I read a while ago that wasps would be a problem this Autumn. Perhaps the hot weather. There was a warning that they would be around longer and sort of drunk the way they get late in the year, so watch out as they sting more readily then.

Vivienne Cox ● 2239d

Maybe support for the WASPI pension decision at the High Court on 15 Sept?

Claire Moran ● 2239d

Maybe Thames Water are seeking out that leaking pipe.

Philippa Bond ● 2239d

oh no - that might have been Turnham Green.

Philippa Bond ● 2239d

Wake up people, the govt have been pumping chemicals in the atmosphere to con you into this long summer of sun and the unusually large amount of wasps have been grown in laboratories to sting you all with chemicals to make you stay at home so you have to buy more apple phones to order from amazon and watch Netflix via google and need more computers with Microsoft teams to be able to work from home and you will vote for an idiots as your leaders. Hang on"................................

James Smith-Jones ● 2238d

these wasps are very clever and just killed 2 who tried attacking me as I suspect I have let the secret out and oh no I have a swarm now coming for me arrrrrggggggggggg".....................................

James Smith-Jones ● 2238d

They are not following the new govt guidelines of no more than 6 which makes me think they are from the Commings labs, they are the bad a$$ ones.

James Smith-Jones ● 2238d

Makes a change from Wasps taking over Coventry City's football ground.

Richard Greenhough ● 2238d

I'm puzzled as to why after dark detectorists (aka nighthawks) are digging up Stamford Brook Common. I know Stamford Brook Road/ Bath Road is marked on some maps as "Roman Road" - are they hoping for treasure?I would have thought they are most likely to uncover hoards of ring-pulls and nitrous oxide canisters.

Bruce Hammal ● 2238d

Wasps do not "swarm", bees do.As you were.

Richard Cathcart ● 2238d

unless i am mistaken,always happy to learn something new every day but a swarm is a group of insects moving in large numbers, and many species of insects are known to move in swarms. so why are wasps any different?

James Smith-Jones ● 2238d

I suspect that these wasps are what are known as solitary wasps each of which seems to dig a small underground nest. They are not the same type as the wasps that like to make their wonderfully crafted nests in lofts and under eaves of houses.  I've never investigated the underground ones and have just avoided them.  You should research more James. Insect life is fascinating.

Philippa Bond ● 2237d

No decline in wasps yet then, have lots in my garden, they love the water bowls I fill for the birds.

Janice Evans ● 2237d

"If you see creatures swarming then these are more likely to be bees – as bees swarm, wasps do not."https://www.amesgroup.uk.com/blog/the-difference-between-wasps-nests-and-bees-swarms/

Richard Cathcart ● 2237d

James is on a flight of the imagination.  They might actually be mining bees.https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/blog/2019/05/types-of-bee-in-the-uk/

Philippa Bond ● 2237d

So are the bees mining for Roman treasure as well as the detectorists?

Bruce Hammal ● 2237d