Where are the wasps and fly's?

[Boosted LS1]

Usually at this time of year I'd have some annoying house flies circling the ceiling rose in the kitchen. This year, not one, zilch. Same for wasps. I only see the smaller 'wood wasps' but haven't seen any of the usual types that want to get on your plate during a pub outing. Have they moved north of the midlands and if so did the swifts, martins etc follow.

There really has been a visible decline in insects.

[dudleybloke]

A few flies about and plenty of wasps round here.

[jfdi]

They're all round mine buzzing around the roof lantern trying to get back out. They couldn't possibly go out the way they came in through the 8ft high by 12ft wide open doorway. tts!

[Hub]

Plenty here (flies that is). Leave the doors or windows open after dark and loads of mozzies and other similar flies pile in

[DavesFlaps]

I’ve been chased by (run away from) two wasps today. There is currently a fly in my kitchen.

The OP’s experience is clearly atypical

[loskie]

Flies or Fly's what?

[craigjm]

They have been replaced by massive hornets where I am!

[Silvanus]

There will be a lot of local variation. There are fewer flying insects this year for a number of reasons, last year's heat wave and the spring heat wave this year killed off the larvae and adults of some species. The overall insect numbers in our monitored traps is definitely down on previous years, although some certain species are up.

Where insect larvae numbers have suffered this will have a knock the on affect of bringing wasp numbers down.

[okgo]

Haven’t had a wasp in my house in London for years apart from a queen early season. Wasps basically don’t exist in inner London now. They appear when you get out to greener areas.

[Monkeylegend]

Had a hornet in our kitchen today but not as many wasps or flies this summer.

Also have had two pigeons fly in and back out of our lounge via the patio doors. That's a bit of a kerfuffle.

[Silvanus]

Anyone spotting hornets know if it's our native hornet or Asian hornets?

Sighting are on the up, they prey on bees and wasps.

[okgo]

Silvanus said:

Anyone spotting hornets know if it's our native hornet or Asian hornets?

Sighting are on the up, they prey on bees and wasps.

Yeh. Went to a party outside near Farnborough the other day. Saw 2 hornets outside. Before that I’d only ever seen two in my life.

[Silvanus]

okgo said:

Silvanus said:

Anyone spotting hornets know if it's our native hornet or Asian hornets?

Sighting are on the up, they prey on bees and wasps.

Yeh. Went to a party outside near Farnborough the other day. Saw 2 hornets outside. Before that I’d only ever seen two in my life.

Asian hornets?

[jimmytheone]

I’ve seen a few hornets about (possibly the same one?) but it eventually landed in a watering can.
It was definitely European not Asian

This was useful for id
https://bpca.org.uk/news-and-blog/is-it-a-wasp-hor...

[Simpo Two]

The hornets have eaten all the flies.

But as a boat owner I seem to see species changing on the river - yesterday I saw about 5 egrets, a recent arrival. Lovely things.

[Hub]

jimmytheone said:

I’ve seen a few hornets about (possibly the same one?) but it eventually landed in a watering can.
It was definitely European not Asian

This was useful for id
https://bpca.org.uk/news-and-blog/is-it-a-wasp-hor...

There's also a hornet mimic hoverfly which I didn't see on that link, it's a really impressive insect I've seen a few times in the garden - really big!

I also saw a hummingbird hawk moth a few days ago, again a really impressive sight.

Seems to be loads of butterflies around too

[Terminator X]

Loads of flies inside our house for some reason!

TX.

[craigjm]

Silvanus said:

Anyone spotting hornets know if it's our native hornet or Asian hornets?

Sighting are on the up, they prey on bees and wasps.

They were Asian hornets here. We’re massive. Pest control came and took a massive nest out of the dead tree in the grounds

[Silvanus]

jimmytheone said:

I’ve seen a few hornets about (possibly the same one?) but it eventually landed in a watering can.
It was definitely European not Asian

This was useful for id
https://bpca.org.uk/news-and-blog/is-it-a-wasp-hor...

This is also a good guide showing them side by side.



I actually discovered a new was species this year (small parasitic wasp), but it's not getting named after me unfortunately

[abzmike]

Aberdeenshire here and most years have a wasp nest or two somewhere under a deck or in a shed, but no sign this year apart from a billiard ball sized one in the spring. Pretty usual number of flies though, and the windscreen is about as messy as normal.