Wasp traps increase the risk of stings | Letters

We need to find ways for the human being and wasp to coexist peacefully, says Matt Shardlow - but Hannah Hyam isn't so sureThe article about wasps by Ben Aldiss (Keep calm and wear white..., theguardian.com, 24 August) was very helpful in explaining why calm behaviour, removing sugary temptations, and being well-covered and tucked in (with white, loose-fitting but tight-cuffed clothing) are the best ways to minimise yellow-jacket wasp sting risk.However, we at Buglife disagree with the statement that wasp traps are a good idea. Attempting to reduce sting risk using small numbers of simple traps is ineffective. Yellow-jacket wasps breed quickly to maximise the use of available resources, and trying to outpace their productivity is nearly impossible. Continue reading...