There has been a sharp increase in wasp removals so far this summer.
At the same rate, a new trend is spreading on social media where people remove wasp nests themselves, through a special trick.
– The wasps are not happy and then you risk getting some on yourself, says pest expert Thomas Persson Vinnersten.
Summer, sun and holidays can also mean some company with wasps. The cleaning companies have therefore had a steady stream of incoming wasp calls. More people want to get rid of goat nests and Anticimex has seen an increase of over 70 percent in jobs, something that also looks set to increase.
– Many people call when the wasps are bothering them and it clashes with the holiday, says pest expert Thomas Persson Vinnersten.
The wasp trend on social media
On the social media platform TikTok, a new trend has gone viral, especially in the US.
People pour gasoline into a can and then keep it under a wasp’s nest. Something that causes the wasps to “swoon off” and fall into the liquid. When TV4 Nyheterna shows the trend for the pest expert, he advises people in Sweden not to jump on it.
– Our wasp nests don’t look like they do in the US and now they are so big in Sweden that you would need a bucket to do this. In addition, we do not have paper wasps that build open nests, but our wasps build nests with casing around them.
Thomas Persson Vinnersten, however, believes that the trick could work but that there are additional risks.
– The wasps go numb and fall. But whether it is a good method is extremely doubtful as you also have to guarantee that all the wasps are in the nest. There can be hundreds or even up to a thousand wasps in a nest. Often they fly in and out, and if some are outside the nest they can get angry and then you risk getting a lot on you.
“At risk of getting a swarm”
The pest expert points out that he thinks there are better approaches to getting rid of a wasp nest.
– I don’t think you should experiment with different chemicals just because it looks fun. There is little to play with. You can remove wasps’ nests if they sit awkwardly, but when wasps’ nests are as big as they are now, you have to contact a pest control company for help, he says.
The new wasp trend can therefore be dangerous for some.
– Especially if it attracts children who are more sensitive. You may not have understood how to do it correctly and you accidentally hit the nest. Then you can risk getting a swarm and it’s less fun.
This also applies to people who are allergic to wasps.
– Hopefully you really won’t do it if you’re allergic to wasps because you expose yourself to a risk. It is therefore dangerous if you are allergic as you can provoke the wasps.