to be on Guard

I got a call the other day from Wilf who asked advice about a wasps nest that had been found in his warehouse.  He was worried that he might have a plague of wasps this year.

In fact he should not have any problem at all because this nest is empty. Colonies of wasps die out in the winter and only the queen wasp lives through.

In fact if you see a wasp now it is quite likely that it is a queen wasp storing up on energy and looking for the best site for a new colony.

There is a serious note to all this in that it is just possible that the nest might have belonged to the Asian Hornet. See a picture here:

 http://www.iombeekeepers.com/asian-hornet-alert

It is necessary for any nest of  Asian Hornets to be quickly eradicated because they are a dangerous pest to honeybees.