No wasps this summer?

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I haven’t seen a single wasp since summer began. I’m in the south east. Has anyone else noticed a lack of wasps? Is it too cold for them? I don’t even see one when we had the brief hot spell! Not complaining as I hate them but it’s also a bit strange…!

I went to an outdoor event in Sussex and there were thousands! Right nuisance to everyone. I accidentally sat on one on a wooden bench and it stung my bum through my dress and my hand as I brushed it off. Hurt like mad for two or three days. And the bastard flew off!

In Ireland and we’ve a nest close to outside our back door if you’d like it- they’re five or ten flying in or out at any given time!!

They’re all at mine! SE too. Just have a BBQ and they’ll flock to you.

And the rest are in a nest above my bathroom!

I live in East Anglia. Like the original poster, I have not seen a single wasp this year. I have just picked the greengages from my quite large tree, and this is the first year in the last 20 that I havent had to beware of wasps. Not a single nibble on overripe fruit. Further, every previous year to date, in the spring there have been wasps catching aphids on the leaves - not one this year. Last year I had 2 nests in the lofts.

I'm in the south east and loads of bloody wasps.

I've seen one, I know there are usually lots by now as it was my birthday this week and usually if having an outdoor get together there'd be lots!

I've seen only a few cabbage white butterflies and only one red admiral this year, usually the buddleas (sp?) are full of them. What happens next year if there are none to lay eggs this year? 😢

I've seen a few catapillars but the birds ate them

And one wasp

Hadn't thought about it, but now you mention it. No. I haven't...also in SE

Yeah, I usually see the first around March/April if it's particularly mild, and always by May for sure...but not this year. And its almost September...I'm sure it's probably a bad thing environmentally, but I can't say I'm upset about it lol

As has been said, I don't think there has been a long enough hot spell, and this has caused the lack of wasps. I have seen quite a number of bumble bees and worker bees on my many 100s of flowers, (but not HALF as many as usual.)

Also, very, very few butterflies, and only a small number of ladybirds. One or two grasshoppers, very few caterpillars. As a pp said, I can't recall a year like it. Normally, I notice around 100 butterflies all in one area (well, within an 10 foot X 10 foot circumference,) all tootling around on the flowers, and flowering bushes. This year, barely seen a dozen in my garden. (Same amount of flowers/bushes.)

Also my flowering bushes have only had one round of flowering this year. Normally flower in May, then die off by July (then I cut the dead off.) Then in early-mid August, new buds bloom and we get a second round of flowers by mid September that last til late October. This year the first round only just started popping out properly around early July... 2 months behind. No sign of any new buds.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c134621devzo

I think I've only seen one this summer. Very unusual.

Definitely fewer wasps this year.
Not complaining as u can't stand the aggressive little fuckers, but as I haven't seen as many bees either I am concerned.

a few of us were talking about this at work recently, remembering how the front of the car & headlights as kids were always covered in dead bugs & if you wore a yellow t shirt in summer you’d be covered in thunderbugs.
Not anymore!

I’ve had quite a lot. Do you want some?

Oh wow- I never noticed this until you mentioned it but you're right!

I've seen lots of bees however, we have bushes with flowers in our front garden that they like so seen plenty of them (love bees!) but no wasps at all.

I actually found a bee that looked exhausted right outside our front door- I gave it some sugar water and it recovered and flew away. I felt so happy about that.

There are tonnes about now, we’ve just been on holidays and had to do the usual covering food and running away during picnics!

They've all emigrated to our place! We have lots of them, they're quite small at the moment, but in by mid September they'll be a bit bigger and more aggressive. But they help keep other garden pests down, so whilst I don't relish sharing a space with them, I appreciate they're important for biodiversity, just wish the wee fuckers would keep to eating aphids, and not my cream tea when sitting out in the garden!

Already got rid of 2 nests this season and have spotted another influx of wasps this weekend swarming around a potential site. Anti wasp equipment at the ready.

I noticed a lot around our roof yesterday. We’ve had nests before in the area and after new fascia boards were fitted last year I hoped they could no longer get in but it looks like they’ve found a way.