Infestation of aggressive wasps closes Pontiac park for almost a month
PONTIAC, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – Families in a Pontiac neighborhood haven't been to enjoy a local park because of a wasp infestation.
Optimist Park on West Fairmount Avenue has remained closed to visitors since August 11 due to a high level of ground wasps.
"For it to be shut down during the summer months when kids really are out of school or were out of school and using it a lot, it's kind of sad to see that happen," said neighbor Deborah Spencer.
The nests of the flying pests aren't hard to miss.
The exterminator told the City of Pontiac they're dealing with cicada killers, a kind of wasp that, unlike yellowjackets, are less likely to sting humans unless they feel threatened.
"They start building their nest in the spring, like May or so, they initiate the colonies. And then, through the summer, these colonies get bigger, and in August and September, they reach their maximum size. And that is the time of year where the last brood that they raise are next year's queens," said Howard Russell, an entomologist.
Russell says eradicating them usually involves pouring insecticidal dust into their home.
"As they enter the colony, they pick that dust up and contaminate the core of the colony. And that's normally pretty effective. Normally, within four to six hours, the colony is pretty much dead at that point," Russell said
But in Pontiac, it's taken several visits from pest control.
"Safety is the priority. So we're going to err on the side of caution and make sure that we're prioritizing the health and safety of our residents. That's what we did here. And to really make sure that this treatment is effective, it takes time because repeated treatments are needed. And that's why it's been a few weeks," said Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel.
Despite caution tape no longer up at the entrances, families are recommended to stay away.
"We are hoping that yesterday's pesticide treatment will be the last treatment necessary. But we won't know that for sure until the coming days," Greimel said.