hikers warned as unusual wasp numbers create trail risk along sea to sky corridor
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a wasp can be seen in this file photo.
brent calver/postmedia
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brent calver/postmedia
a perfect storm of weather conditions has created an unusually large number of yellow jacket wasp nests near hiking trails, a b.c. search and rescue volunteer has warned.
“if you’ve been hiking recently, you’ve probably noticed them. and they are fierce this year,” said maria masiar, training officer with lions bay search and rescue.
“according to b.c. pest experts, a relatively mild winter followed by an early, warm spring allowed more queen yellow jackets to survive hibernation and establish new colonies. with a longer growing season, those colonies have had more time to expand, resulting in larger, more defensive nests.”
“according to b.c. pest experts, a relatively mild winter followed by an early, warm spring allowed more queen yellow jackets to survive hibernation and establish new colonies. with a longer growing season, those colonies have had more time to expand, resulting in larger, more defensive nests.”
masiar said yellow jackets build their nests underground, meaning they are easily disturbed by hikers or dogs. once a nest has been disturbed, the male wasps become aggressive and will sting anything seen as threat. unlike a bee, a wasp can sting multiple times, and there can be thousands of wasps in a nest.
masiar said wasp stings are painful and can remain so for several days. the greater concern, she said, is anaphylactic shock as the result of a sting that can lead to swelling of the lips, tongue or throat.
”that is a medical emergency,” masiar said.
“an epipen is the only first-line treatment for anaphylaxis. if you’ve been prescribed one, always carry two when heading into the backcountry and call 911 immediately after using one.”
“an epipen is the only first-line treatment for anaphylaxis. if you’ve been prescribed one, always carry two when heading into the backcountry and call 911 immediately after using one.”
all hikers are encouraged to pack an antihistamine product like claritin or reactine and hydrocortisone cream.
search and rescue official are also asking hikers not to try to remove nests.
“any time you start disturbing a hive, they will attack,” masiar said.
instead, hikers are asked to report the location of the nest to tracking website wasp-watch.com. these reports will also be uploaded to the popular alltrails.com website.
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according to westside pest control, there are about 18 types of wasps in b.c. though the three most commonly encountered are yellow jackets, paper wasps or bald-faced hornets. wasps are typically most active in july and august.
a recent yellow jacket wasp bite inflicted on search and rescue volunteer maria masiar.
marie masiar
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