PEST experts are warning of a bumper year for wasps in Worcestershire.

Mild spring temperatures following a relatively cold winter have created perfect conditions for the nuisance insects.

And with forecasters predicting warmer than average weather for the rest of May and June, industry insiders are expecting a huge rise in both the number and size of nests.

Figures produced by the British Pest Control Association last week indicate problems with wasps shot up by around 87 per cent in the UK last year compared to an unusually quiet 2013.

Rob Simpson, leader of independent pest controllers register BASIS PROMPT, said: “Colder winters often mean there are more wasps about the following summer as mated queens spend the period deep in hibernation.

“If it’s milder in December and January, wasps become restless and use up their food reserves. They then have nothing left to forage on, so they die.

“This year, temperatures were relatively cold during the winter and have so far been warm in spring, so we’re expecting our members to receive a deluge of calls.”