“One hot summer in Itching Down,
Four million wasps flew into town.
They drove the picnickers away,
They chased the farmers from their hay,
They stung Lord Swell on his fat bald pate,
They dived and hummed and buzzed and ate,
And the noisy, nasty nuisance grew
Till the villagers cried “What can we do?”
So they called a meeting in the village hall,
And Mayor Muddlenut asked them all,
“What can we do?” And they said, “Good question!”
But nobody had a good suggestion.”
(From The Giant Jam Sandwich by John Vernon Lord and Janet Burroway)
A survey undertaken in 2001 had wasps nominated as “most disliked wildlife” (along with rats), by the New Zealand public, largely because they spoil our enjoyment of outdoor recreational activities.
The seasonal grief inflicted by wasps in many parts of New Zealand is something people have grown to accept as an inevitable part of a Kiwi summer. The wasp influx arrives over summer and autumn, then they are largely gone over winter. We can then thankfully forget wasps even existed – for a few short months at least.
Read More: https://www.stuff.co.nz/environment/wasp-wipeout/102186280/wasps-voted-nzs-most-disliked-wildlife