Shropshire Star

Shropshire weather: Insect invasion as the heatwave hits

Soaring temperatures in this week's mini-heatwave have led to an insect invasion in the county, a pest control expert said today.

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Rob Davies, who runs Pestforce in Little Wenlock, said his phone had not stopped ringing with complaints about flies, mosquitoes, flying ants and wasps.

Fleas and bed bug infestations are also well up due to the heat, while rats are also taking advantage of the warm weather.

It looks more like an oil painting of helicopter training taking place at a Shropshire airbase.

But in fact this image is a photograph that illustrates the soaring temperatures at RAF Shawbury this week.

RAF Shawbury photographer Ian Forshaw captured the image of a DHFS Squirrel helicopter taking off through the heat haze.

Temperatures reached 32.1C on Tuesday afternoon, which is well into the 90s in fahrenheit.

The weather is uncomfortable for staff working in the open. But those in charge at the airbase say that, rather than disrupt training at the airbase, the high temperatures provide "excellent preparation".

Major Jon Dufton, deputy chief flying instructor at the Defence Helicopter Flying School at the base, said: "The Griffin can operate up to 51.7C and the Squirrel up to 40C by day and night, and the high temperatures do not pose a problem for the aircraft.

"The high temperatures are excellent preparation for our aircrew, exposing them to similar conditions that they might encounter when deploying operationally overseas in the future."

While the hot temperatures have created a challenge for staff working at the airbase early this week, they are back to normal as we head into the weekend.

And there is also the prospect of the odd thunderstorm to look out for as the heatwave breaks up.

He said mainly this week, though, the problem had been wasps.

"This week there has been a huge spike in wasp activity," he said.

"You find a lot of flying and crawling species are kind of activated by a certain temperature being achieved and maintained for a few days of more.

"We are certainly seeing a huge spike in wasp activity, which this weather is perfect for.

"The hotter the weather gets, the more wasps you tend to see."

Mr Davies said the heat was also perfect for fleas to breed – and if they were not spotted and checked quickly, home infestations could soon occur.

He said: "Fleas are not my best friend, they send me home looking like the elephant man more often than not.

"I do quite frequently get bitten and come home lumpy.

"Again, they are something else that thrives in a warm environment. They tend to be activated by the presence of human body temperature in the home.

"Certainly where you have got dogs or cats they are coming into homes with fleas on them and dropping eggs around the household. Because the ambient temperature is so high, it provides them with a perfect environment to breed and reproduce in."

He said rats and mice were "ever present" – but said the milder winters of the past two years meant pest populations had flourished.

"With rats and mice you will find the winter, with the colder weather, will bring a spike in rodent activity, particularly them coming into homes for shelter," he said.

"Because of the mild winters, though, they are breeding throughout the winter.

"Every couple of weeks I will get called out to a live rat that has got into somebody's living room.

"I think because of the more temperate climate the year round, we are seeing bigger populations with each season that is coming on; we are not having the harsh winters that kill things back."

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