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New wasp infestation at Brenzett Primary School - winter invasion 'weird', says wildlife expert Owen Leyshon

14:00, 26 November 2015

A school has had to shut for four days this week after wasps returned to plague it.

And this time a pupil was stung in the playground.

Brenzett Primary School had closed on Monday and Tuesday after the insects were first found and pest controllers were called in.

But the school has now revealed that it has had to close again today after they came back.

It will stay shut tomorrow with children instead going to class at New Romney's Marsh Academy.

Interim head teacher Hannah Peaston said in a statement: "Unfortunately Brenzett Primary School had to make the decision to close again today after wasps were seen returning to the site and a child was stung in the playground.

"The school will remain closed tomorrow while further investigations are carried out.

Brenzett Primary School interim head Hannah Peaston.
Brenzett Primary School interim head Hannah Peaston.

"To minimise the disruption to the children’s education, the Marsh Academy has kindly offered the use of its facilities tomorrow.

"Parents are asked to drop their children off at the Leisure Centre entrance at 8:40am in full uniform with a packed lunch."

Parents had earlier been alerted a school Facebook posting saying: “Our wasps have returned and the school needs to close as soon as possible.

"Please collect your child if you are able or contact the school if you can’t so other arrangements can be made.”

The insects also threw tonight’s parents’ evening into chaos as a second school Facebook posting said that it would have to be moved to Brenzett Village Hall.

The first wasp alert was early on Monday morning when a caretaker found the pests in one of the toilets.

Brenzett Primary School - struck by freak winter wasp invasion.
Brenzett Primary School - struck by freak winter wasp invasion.

Parents were contacted in time to prevent bringing their children to the school.

Pest controllers were brought in and the school remained shut the next day until it was confirmed that the treatment had worked.

The school reopened yesterday and classes resumed as normal until the wasps came back to cause fresh pandemonium today.

The school has never confirmed the scale of the infestation but made clear that nobody had been stung in the first invasion.

Wildlife expert Owen Leyshon
Wildlife expert Owen Leyshon

The invasion is baffling to naturalists as it is almost unheard of to see wasps in Britain in November. This is particularly as the weather has turned cold over the last week with daytime temperatures as low as 3C.

Owen Leyshon, project officer for the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership, said after the first infestation; “This a bit weird for November.

“Wasps’ nests disintegrate during the autumn. The queens are left and the workers have all died.

“We have had a very mild autumn but by now they are all sluggish. Pest controllers like Rentokil corrwould have stopped having callouts months ago.

“So, while this is possible, it is very unusual. If there was a nest it would be in the loft or a wall cavity so they might have kept going with the heating turned on.”

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