Deadly Wasp Attacks In Europe & Australia Allegedly Triggered By Climate Change

The "Lucifer heat wave" scorched most parts of Europe in the past two weeks leaving a trail of havoc of death and damages to crIps and property. The abnormal climatic conditions had set record high temperatures reaching to a scathing 129 degrees F (54 degrees C) in Mitribah, Kuwait based on the OGIMET weather information report.

Climate Change encourage wasp population growth and attacks

Climate change plays the leading role on why the lethal wasp and bees attacks had been increasing recently. The alarming heat that parts of Europe experienced in the last couple of weeks increased the offensive mode behavior of wasps in the region.

Romanians have more reports of bees and wasp attacks on record. Eyewitnesses claimed that seven people suffered lethal stings caused by wasps. Of the seven victims, one of them died, three went into anaphylactic shock, a life threatening allergic reaction commonly caused by wasp stings.

The Land Down Under have wasp infestation in the ACT territories

Australia has its share of wasp population growing in numbers. The Australian Capital Territories (ACT) have numerous reports of wasps invading homesteads in the area. The e-wasp hotlines received 66 records of the wasp infestation in their homes with 40 nests in residential wall spaces and the 26 others in the environment.

Hotline operator and environment consultant Jim Bariesheff said that other colonies remain unreported. Bariesheff further stated that the wet winter killed off most queen wasps and the surviving wasps burrow themselves in the ground finding their way to residences. That is the reason why lesser colonies are near bodies of water, reports ABC.net, Australia.

Autumn: a dangerous season for wasp attacks

Dozens of other attacks occurred in the past two weeks including a severe wasp assault on a 19-year old in Romania. According to Lynn Kimsey, a professor of Entomology at the University of California, Davis, the anticipation of the wasp growthand attacks is set to keep up with the onset of the 'Lucifer heatwave.'

Several species of wasps inhabits the environment of Romania. They are the yellow and black mud dauber wasp, the chestnut gall wasp, the paper wasp, and the Oriental hornet. Kimsey says that the paper wasp and the Oriental hornet are the species to worry. Oriental hornets are the ones that are known to attack people, reports The Motherboard.

The season of autumn is the time of the year where wasp population is at its peak. According to Waspbane, wasp colonies die off in winter not because of the cold, but due to starvation. But due to climate change, some queens survive through the winter and manage to populate and increase its colony for the next cycle.