Summer influx of wasps a nuisance for Albertans

Albertans are looking for ways to deal with a late-summer spike in wasps throughout the province.

Brad Hitchings, the manager of Greengate Garden Centres in Calgary, says the phones are ringing off the hook with people throughout southern Alberta looking for solutions to get rid of wasps in their yards.

"The cycle looks to be a real big outbreak every three to five years and we tend to see that in the gardening industry where we can see how many (traps) we ordered and how many we sold and then a couple of years is quiet and then, boom, it spikes up,” he said.

The garden centre has a spray foam for customers to apply directly to the nest opening to neutralize the wasps inside.

To keep them away from sitting areas outside, Hitchings recommends a disposable pheromone trap that's filled with water.

"Wasps are attracted to it, they go into the trap and basically drown and then you dispose of the trap when it's full,” he said.

What to do if you get stung by a wasp

Shivali Sharma, the pharmacist-owner at the Mactaggart Shoppers Drug Mart in Edmonton, said there has been an increase of people coming in looking for relief from wasp stings this year.

“In the last week or so it has completely spiked, in terms of the amount of people looking for treatment, and remedies in terms of what to do when they’ve been stung by a wasp,” Sharma said.

For average cases, wasp stings result in a mild, localized reaction, which can include pain and swelling lasting a few hours up to a couple of days.

While a cold compress can help bring the swelling down, you can also treat the area with a mild hydrocortisone or steroid cream which are available over the counter.

Acetaminophen or ibuprofen can also help with the pain.

Adam Loria, Emergency Medical Services (EMS) education officer, says reactions to a wasp sting can vary.

"Mild reactions may consist of skin irritation, rash, hives, itchiness," he said. "But any respiratory involvement may be one indicator of a more severe reaction or anaphylaxis and in those circumstances, medical attention should be sought."

Professional help

Jarrod Warkentin of Target Pest Control in Calgary is called in when the job is too big for a property owner.

 He has access to a variety of products to get rid of nests and says he's dealing with about a dozen clients a day.

"The main reason that we've seen an increase in wasp activity I think is because a big portion of the wildfires have pushed wasps in our direction,” he said.

Aphids are also bad this summer and they're an easy food source for wasps. Warkentin says when there is an abundance of food you're going have an abundance of wasps.

But while wasps are a bother for many, they do provide some ecological benefits.

"There are two sides to the wasp, one is they eat insects, mosquitoes, they're good in that sense," he said.

Pest on the course

Wasps have become a nuisance at Cattail Crossing Golf Club in Edmonton this summer.

“All over the place, it doesn’t matter where you are,” said Jason Wiwad, director of golf and head teaching professional at Cattail Crossing.

“Out on the range, out on the golf course … especially around the patios where there’s some beverages and food.”

In his 34 years out on the course, Wiwad said he has never seen the wasps this bad. He’s been stung 10 times this summer alone.

“I’ve actually had to cancel a few lessons because they’ve gotten so bad that the people that I was teaching just couldn’t handle it for the hour-long session,” he said.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson