Fewer wasps this summer

This summer has seen much fewer wasps compared to previous summers.

It is not easy to pinpoint the exact reason for this, but ornithologist Jens-Kjeld Jensen believes it is climate-related.

There are indications that fewer queen wasps survived the autumn and winter than usual – possibly as few as one percent, compared with the normal proportion of five percent, says Jensen. 

They will return

The relative sparsity of wasps has come as a positive surprise to most people, perhaps with the exception of gardeners, who delight in their presence, as the insects help reduce pest populations.

It is, however, most likely that the wasps will return in their usual numbers next summer, according to Jensen.

“This year’s sparsity should not be taken as a sign that wasps are dying out in the Faroes. Wasps are incredibly tough and hardy creatures, so they will soon return in all their glory.”

According to science magazine Frøði, wasps were first spotted in the Faroes in 1999, initially in Tórshavn only, but they have since spread around the islands.

Translated by prosa.fo