18 people injured by hornets at German wine festival

After reports last month of ‘drunk, angry wasps’ on the rampage in the UK, two rapid response teams were called to a wine festival in Germany after 18 people were injured by a swarm of hornets on Sunday.

Emergency services were called to a wine festival in Weingarten near Karlsruhe after reports of “mass casualties” at around 3pm local time on Sunday (2 September).

As reported by the German press, a group of walkers who were on a tour through the vines were attacked by a swarm of hornets with 18 people injured as a result.

Two rapid response teams were called, travelling in 10 vehicles in total. After the cause of the mass casualties was established, a hornet expert was brought in to test the site while the festival area was cordoned off.

Of the 18 people stung, 13 required medical attention and were transferred to local hospitals. According to the local police, it is thought that there were no life-threatening injuries and no children were harmed.

In Germany official permission is required in order for hornet nests to be examined and moved.

Deputy mayor Patrick Nagel told the local media that the area was currently being assessed in order to locate other nests and prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.

It is believed that the hot weather has prompted an increase in the number of stinging insects, according to the British Pest Control Association.

In late August the wasp queens go into hibernation leaving a large number of worker wasps hungry and without a purpose, driving them to search for food. While they’re considered a pest by some, wasps play a vital role in pest control themselves, helping to reduce the population of invasive species of caterpillar and greenfly.