Hundreds of sand wasps buzzing around the sandbox at the Atwater St-Charles Park are scaring away kids and their parents.
Stephanie Bouchard, entomologist and curator of the Lyman Entomological Museum and Research Laboratory, says that sand wasps don’t pose a threat to humans and that they only sting in extremely rare cases.
“They really try to avoid you as much as possible they don’t land on you ever,” Bouchard told Global News. “They won’t try to defend their nests.”
Residents are nevertheless worried.
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Olivier Trottier and his toddler turned right back when they saw the insects flying in circles above the sand.
“It’s sort of scary, you know. I just came by with my kid because she wanted to play, then suddenly someone told me there were these wasps,” the father said. “It’s scary.”
According to city councilor Craig Sauvé, other parks have similar wasp issues, but exterminating them is not part of the city’s plans.
“They’re positive for the environment because they do eliminate a lot of flies and other small bugs. In fact, a wasp can take out about a hundred flies per year,” Sauvé explained.
He insists that no bites or stings by sand wasps have been reported to them.
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Bouchard says that kids should be able to play in the sand without being scared away by the flying insects.
“They are very calm wasps, very shy, and not aggressive at all, but in an area where a lot of kids are playing, sometimes it’s best to control them.”
A city inspector was called to the park to confirm the presence of the wasps this afternoon, after being alerted to the problem by Global News.
Sauvé says that the city will put up signs in the park to inform and reassure residents.
For now, the wasps will keep buzzing around while the city looks for solutions.
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