I forgot it was almost August until I walked up to the KiTa (daycare) where my husband teaches, and saw the sign on the front gate: Achtung! Erdwespen auf der Wiese. (Caution! Wasps in the meadow/garden.) Aw, yes. Just like the seasonal Eis (ice cream) stands and the Freibad (outdoor swimming pool), the sudden and ubiquitous arrival of wasps throughout Germany is a sure sign of summer in Germany.

Eine Wespe. PHOTO: Tim Evison

I’ll never forget a trip we took to Remagen to look at the infamous bridge where a lovely summer meal on the terrace was fully ruined by wasps sharing our food. Or the time we walked into our neighborhood Backerei (bakery) and were thoroughly repulsed by the hordes of wasps carrying off whole sections of icing. Both times, the Germans never batted an eye. Were we the crazy ones?

I’ve also struggled with Fruchtfliegen (fruit flies) in summer in Germany which I find manageable, but the wasps are an inescapable issue. These aren’t cute little Honigbienen (honeybees). They are Wespen (wasps) and are straight up gnarly. They really are everywhere this time of year and despite some Germans’ insistence that they are really no big deal, four people at my husband’s KiTa were stung before an exterminator was called.

Germany’s Wespen
In Europe, there are common wasps (Vespula vulgaris), as well as the German variety (Vespula germanica). The German ones can be identified by three dots on their face – though I doubt you want to get that close. And it’s not just your imagination that the German variety are extraordinarily large.

The reason why we suddenly experience an issue with them in August to September is that is when the queen hibernates, allowing the tired drones to finally head out and party for one last hurrah before the cold kills them off. They now need to go out and seek food rather than having it provided from within the hive by the larvae. Hence the free-for-all on anything sweet, from Pfannkuchen (common doughnut) to Bier – two German favorites.

Sommerzeit ist Wespenzeit. (Summertime is wasp time.) The wasps are especially bad in German summer when there is a mild winter and dry summer. While last winter brought the chill, this summer has been especially dry and the wasps are out in force. Berlin’s many green spaces also seem to make the city more attractive for wasps. Not to mention the many restaurants, grill parties, and garbages that are also a major attraction.

What to Do about Wasps in Germany
So what do you do about this nuisances? There is a German saying:

Töte einen und es werden 5 an der Beerdigung teilnehmen. (Kill one and there will be 5 attending the funeral.)

It’s true that a wasp in distress sends out a signal through pheromones that can draw other wasps making killing them a bad idea.

It is also true that you can be fined for killing a wasp in Germany. Wirklich (really). According to an article in Euronews, the Bundesnaturschutzgesetz, BNatSchG (Federal Nature Conservation Act) “…prohibits the deliberate disturbance of wasps — and other wild animals — or their capture, injury or death without reasonable cause”. Fines can be issued for up to €50,000 if you kill a wild animal in Germany without good reason. Luckily, fines are rarely given because everywhere I look in Berlin the foreigners are swatting away.

• When you are inevitably surrounded by wasps during a German summer, avoid any quick movement as they are unlikely to sting unless they are threatened.
• If you come upon a nest, call a licensed exterminator who has the legal right and equipment to remove it.
• To avoid issues, keep all food and garbage in clean, sealed containers. If you are at a picnic, keep all the food closed up except for serving.
• You can distract them by putting something sweet away from where you are sitting, or you can make a basic trap by mixing something very sweet like honey or marmalade with to drown them. I’ve also heard Krümeltee works (what can’t German tea do?)
• Many perfumes also attract wasps so it might be best to avoid during this end of summer season.
• Blowing the wasps away also might irritate them. The carbon dioxide in our breath might trigger their alarm.
• They don’t like other strong smells like lemon, cloves, or burnt coffee grounds. You can try to set these out to deter them.
• If you do get stung, clean the wound and ice it. Some Germans recommend putting a cut onion on it. While a sting hurts, the pain is usually temporary. If you have an allergy or experience any alarming symptoms like extreme swelling or faintness, go to the hospital immediately and tell them “Ich wurde von einer Wespe gestochen.”

Yes, Wespen are the rotten end to a beautiful summer day. But just remember that they want to party too and their season only lasts until the fall. Also remember that without wasps, other insect populations would go out of control. So we all serve a purpose.