A swarm of angry wasps have been caught on camera ‘causing havoc’ amongst punters at a busy Edinburgh bar.
Craig Jazayeri was out enjoying the sun on Saturday when they noticed dozens of the flying insects swirling through the air.
The short clip shows hundreds of the bugs settling in a cluster on a beer garden bench at the Merlin bar on Morningside Road, Edinburgh Live reports.
It is understood the group of wasps has been travelling up and down the street causing havoc for all that come into contact with them.
The scene would not look out of place in a Stephen King novel with the buzz of the stinging insects reverberating through the affluent community.
Craig said: “This is happening right now outside the Merlin in Morningside, Edinburgh. They have been swarming up and down the road causing havoc.”
Speaking to the BBC in 2018, Natalie Bungay, technical officer at the British Pest Control Association (BPCA), said that they usually only sting when they feel threatened.
She said: “The problem is a wasp in distress emits a pheromone that sends nearby colony members into a defensive, stinging frenzy. That's right - scare a wasp and it might call for backup."
Ms Bungay added that unlike bees, wasps do not die after one sting. They can, and will, sting you quite a few times.
She continued: "While being stung by one wasp isn't normally dangerous, 30 or 40 stings could kill you."
A Rentokil blog post gave some sage advice for those trying to survive a wasp swarm.
It said: “Wasps’ behaviour changes in late summer as their preferred food shifts from sugars to proteins. Because of this, you will more likely encounter them wherever food is consumed outdoors and around garbage collection areas.
“If you notice large numbers of wasps in your home or garden, there is likely to be a wasp nest nearby. It may be in your house, in your garden or very close by. A mature nest in summer/autumn can contain thousands of wasps. When they do attack, most wasps, yellow jackets and hornets are aggressive and will sting repeatedly.”
The do’s if a wasp attacks you are:
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Always remain still if a wasp approaches you.
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If you have to run away, do so in a straight line, without flailing your arms.
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Protect your head and face, as these areas are mostly likely to be targeted by the wasps.
The don'ts if a wasp attacks you are:
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If you swat at the wasp or swing your arms, you’ll only make it more aggressive and more likely to sting you.
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Do not try to fool wasps by “playing dead”. They will simply continue stinging you!
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Do not seek shelter in a body of water, as the wasps will simply wait for you to re-emerge.
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