Wasp sightings have increased throughout the Bay Area, with concentrations in San Mateo County parks such as Pillar Point Bluff and at Samuel P. Taylor State Park in Marin County. The San Mateo County Mosquito & Vector Control District reported nearly twice the usual number of yellowjacket nest service requests and offers free assistance if nest locations are provided. Cooler-than-normal summer temperatures and greater access to water and food have created favorable incubation conditions for yellowjackets, allowing populations to expand. Wasps can sting multiple times and bite, unlike bees, increasing their danger. Recommended precautions include not disturbing nests, covering sweet drinks, avoiding going barefoot outdoors, and seeking medical care for stings or allergic reactions.
We've gotten almost twice as many service requests for yellowjacket nests as usual.
"We have had a cooler than normal summer, which I know that most folks have read about, seen about and other things like that," said Peter Ostroskie, of the California State Parks Bay Area District. "So with those cooler temperatures, it allows for the population to kind of grow so if there's no like, absolute really big heat days and there's no cool days, then the wasps actually have this perfect kind of incubation period of creating more and more of the population."
"When a bee stings you, they're using their stinger once and then usually the bee will die after they've used their stinger," Ostroskie said. "Wasps actually can sting multiple times and they bite, so they are much more resilient in that side of it. And if you do get bitten or stung by a wasp and you know that you need to seek medical attention, we're asking folks to please seek that."
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