Wasp nests surge

Wednesday, 29 July 2026 23:56

Wasp nests are surging across the country and French-speaking areas the worst-hit region.

Insurer La Mobilière recorded around 5,800 nest reports last year, five times as many as in 2021.

Western areas showed 2.5 nests for every thousand households, more than twice the rate in German-speaking Switzerland.

Biologists at Bern's Dählhölzli zoo blame mild winters and dry springs, which give queens an easier start and let colonies establish quickly.

Summer heatwaves make things worse: unlike humans, wasps cannot sweat, so they burn more energy and grow more aggressive as they hunt for food.

Experts note the insects still play a vital role as pollinators and natural pest controllers, despite the bad press.

More from Bitesize News

Warning of English over national languages

The head of Switzerland's Bilingualism Forum is warning that pushing French teaching out of primary school would put national cohesion at risk.
Mysterious meeting with Israel

The head of Swiss military procurement has made a secretive trip to Israel, and the Defence Department will not say who he met.
FIFA slammed by UEFA for commercial plans

Zurich-based FIFA is opening its most prized competitions to private investors, in a move already drawing threats of a European boycott.
UBS posts sharp rise in profits

UBS has once again beaten analyst expectations, posting a sharp jump in second-quarter profits.
Switzerland embraces AI

Swiss workers are the most enthusiastic users of artificial intelligence in Europe.
Fireworks banned this National Day

We’re heading into a fireworks-free national day.