Brits Unprepared for Wasp Invasion
Over half a million wasp stings already this year Expectation of an increased number of claims for wasp nest removal 43% of Britons have previously found a wasps' nest in their home, yet only a quarter have done anything to prevent it Wasps considered worse than noisy neighbours
(firmenpresse) - LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM -- (Marketwire) -- 12/02/11 -- Millions of people could be stung by wasps this summer, as the warm spring leads to a significant increase in their numbers. New findings(i) from the AA's Home Emergency Response Service reveal that three in four homeowners are completely unprepared for the wasp invasion, and it says it is expecting an increased number of claims over the summer from people looking for nests to be dealt with.
The research reveals that 7% of the adult population, over 3.3 million people, were stung by a wasp last year. Over half a million people (533,000) say they have already been stung by a wasp this year, and the AA says the rise in wasp numbers could lead to a much higher level of wasp nests and consequently stings this year. Around 7 million people say they have noticed more wasps than usual for this time of year.
Almost half of Britons (43%) have previously found a wasps' nest in their home, according to the AA's findings. More than one in three of these people (37%) have found one in the loft or attic, equivalent to 7.5 million people. A further 5.8 million people (28%) have found one in garden sheds, 4.8 million people (23%) in wall cavities, and 2.4 million (12%) in their garages.
Despite this, three in four people (73%) have done nothing to protect their home from the risk of wasps building a nest. The AA's survey found that only one in ten people (11%) has checked their attic for wasps' nests despite it being the most common place for them to be found. Some 13% of people have found holes and blocked them in, only 9% have repaired cracks in brickwork and still less (8%) have checked under the eaves in a bid to protect their home.
Wasps worse than noisy neighbours
Wasps are the biggest scourge of people's enjoyment of their garden, according to the AA findings, with 47% of those with a garden, over 20 million people, citing them as the factor that spoils this enjoyment the most.
Other factors that spoil our enjoyment of our gardens in the summer are noisy neighbours, cited by 46% of those with a garden and ants, named by 20%. Traffic noise is an issue for 14% of those with a garden, spiders for 12%, and passing aeroplanes spoil the tranquillity of spending time in the garden for 6%.
Tom Stringer, Head of Response, said: "The early, prolonged warm weather in spring appears to have led to the early arrival of wasps, which means they have longer to build bigger nests over the summer that can house several thousand wasps each. We are expecting a higher call volume than we normally would from people looking to have nests removed from their home.
"Unfortunately most people seem unprepared for wasps' nests, but there are relatively simple steps they can take to reduce the risk before it is too late, like checking their lofts and under the eaves or repairing cracks in brickwork.
"It's worth thinking about it now while a nest can be removed or sprayed in the early stages rather than later in the summer, when it's more established. Finding a wasps' nest can be very unpleasant and indeed frightening. People might mistakenly think their standard home insurance covers them for emergencies like wasps nests, so it's worth checking their policy and considering a stand-alone home emergency policy that looks after pest control issues should the need arise."
Those in the West Midlands are most likely to have found a wasps' nest in or around their home, with over half of them (53%) having done so. This is followed by Scotland (51%) and the South East (49%).
Notes to editors:
(i) Research was carried out by ICM amongst a GB representative sample of 2028 adults between 20th and 22nd May 2011.
About AA Home Emergency Response
AA Home Emergency Response cover provides a network of approved tradesmen available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There are no call-out charges or policy excesses and for work carried out under the policy, parts and labour are guaranteed. Cover is available to both existing AA members and non members.
Customers wishing to find out more information should visit: or call 0800 107 1031
Contacts:
AA Press Office
Sue Beeson
01256 492874
Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Ian Morris or Brandon Stockwell
020 7638 9571
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Datum: 02.12.2011 - 18:53 Uhr
Sprache: Deutsch
News-ID 93590
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LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM
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Family
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