See a wasp? Let them bee, experts say

As the buzzing insects infiltrate our picnics and patios, here's how you can avoid being stung

- KEVIN JIANG

If you notice wasps hovering around your patio, resist the urge to swat them away or flail your arms in panic, says entomologist Antonia Guidotti. "I know this is really difficult to do, but the best thing is actually to freeze."

Nothing screams fall in Toronto like being swarmed by dozens of buzzing wasps while trying to enjoy a meal outdoors.

Wasp season is here, and raiding parties of the hungry insects are emerging from their nests in force, their sights trained on our sugarladen patios and picnics.

But before you reach for the bug trap, have some pity for the little guys — they’re going through a lot right now.

Every year in Toronto, beginning in late July or August, hoards of wasps — primarily yellowjackets — invade human spaces in search of sweets, said Antonia Guidotti, an entomologist with the Royal Ontario Museum.

Despite their surging numbers now, the vast majority will be dead by the first hard frost of the year, usually in late September or early October. The colony will be survived by a new queen, who, after mating in autumn, will soon enter hibernation to start the cycle anew next spring.

Wasps are only after your food now because there isn’t enough of it at home, Guidotti explained.