Two cars leave road as drivers swat wasps

Two traffic accidents in northern Finland on Thursday involved drivers trying to drive away insects, Yle reports. In at least one accident in Oulu, the driver was attempting to remove a wasp.

Marko Mutanen, an entomology professor at the University of Oulu, advises drivers to remain calm if a wasp flies around them while they are driving. They can open a window in the hope that it will fly out, but should pull over at the next available stopping place. There, they can open the doors and windows to let the wasp out.

Mutanen warns drivers not to swat at the insect, as it may sting. Wasps are drawn to people in search of food, especially meat, grilled food and fish. Sealed food without a smell is less likely to attract them.

Wasps are particularly numerous at this time of year because their colonies grow towards the end of summer and are now at their largest. The nests have recently begun producing males. As the colonies reach their peak, they begin to break up, and the worker wasps may start flying around widely after their tasks come to an end.

According to Mutanen, wasps are aggressive mainly when people deliberately or unknowingly provoke them. As social insects, they defend their nests. Wasps are typically active into September, depending on the weather. When temperatures fall, they can no longer move around and their colonies stop growing, although fertilised queens spend the winter.