Despite their bad reputation and tendency to disrupt picnics, wasps are an important part of our ecosystem.
During this time of year, it can seem like most outdoor activities are plagued by the flying insects… but they appear to have lacked their usual numbers in 2024.
Colder and wetter weather and climate change have had a global impact on the invertebrates.
Where’s this colder and wetter weather? I thought the earth was breaking one heat record after another this year?
On average, it is. But the other effect of climate change, and a big part of the reason it isn’t generally referred to as “global warming” anymore, is an increase in weather extremes worldwide. Rainstorms are wetter, droughts are drier, cold snaps are colder, and heat waves are hotter.