It’s worse than flying ant dayThousands of wasps swarm Bristol in skin-crawling video
Thousands of wasps have been filmed swarming on a street in Bristol.
The footage, which you can watch at the top of this article, was captured in Redcliffe Street and shows thousands of flying insects near the roadworks site.
Sharing the video with BristolLive, a local said: “Redcliffe is crawling with wasps. F***ing thousands of them.”
“Never seen anything like it,” he added. “Right up and down the street. They’re not attacking anyone though.”
It’s unclear where the insects came from. Members of the public can be seen crossing the road around the cloud of wasps, though this may be to avoid the roadworks.
April is the start of wasp season, when the insects emerge to build a nest following the queen’s period of hibernation during the winter season.
In spring and early summer, worker wasps collect food to feed growing larvae. When wasps are the most active, they can become aggressive to protect their nest.
Each of those white-grey specks is a wasp(Image: Pete Alimo)
The sudden appearance of a swarm of wasps can indicate a nest nearby, or something in the area attracting the insects.
But what appears to be a swarm may be a gathering of male wasps preparing to mate. They can form small groups, hovering in warm, sheltered spots and usually move on quickly.
Wasp Removal UK says wasps do not swarm like honeybees, but can appear to swarm if their nest has been treated or its entrance is blocked.