UK wasp numbers soar after unusually warm and dry spring

Now their larvae have been fed with protein and their colonies are mature, wasps will be on the lookout for sugary liquids to sustain themselves. Photograph: Jackie Bale/Getty Images

If dodging swooping gulls trying to steal your chips wasn’t already enough, you might be spending your bank holiday trying to keep wasps away from your ice cream too.

Britain is in the middle of a wasp boom. Not only have they arrived earlier than expected, but there are more of them than in recent summers. Experts say 2025 is an excellent year for them.