Bugs fly in to Pembrey to enjoy Indian Summer

The wonderful Indian Summer we have been enjoying is attracting not only more visitors and campers and caravaners to Pembrey Country Park. Many unusual flying insects and butterflies have been homing in from across the seas and surrounding too.

Naturalists have been having a field day at Pembrey Country Park with many species of butterflies, moths beetles and strange other insects not seen for many years enjoying the flora and fauna within the 500 acres of the park.

Wasps and bees have been nesting in trees and sand within the forestry and Pembrey Country Park and do not cause an issue unless they are disturbed.

Visitors to the park are asked to keep their dogs under control to avoid any unnecessary distress if they encounter any wasps nests.

Carmarthenshire council parks manager Rory Dickinson said: “We take an arbitrary view that the wildlife is what helps makes Pembrey Country Park great.

“If it is not causing danger to anyone we would not normally interfere but post a notice warning of the presence in any locality where insects that might sting could cause an issue if disturbed.

“It is not the same as have a wasp’s nest in the house. The park and surrounding countryside is big enough for all to share.

“Rangers encounter them on a daily basis and none of them have been stung.”

He said a sandy ground wasp’s nest was reported by park visitors on Sunday during the steam fare. “We just advised people to give it a wide berth,” said Mr Dickinson.

It is not unusual for yellow jacket wasps to nest in sand. They create a paper nest but the cold nights and early frosts will kills the nest sites.

Only one wasp’s nest has had to be destroyed in recent years within the park because it was right in the middle of the children’s adventure playground.

This was simply tacked with soapy water solution.

Park visitor and camper Barrie Davies from Truro captured a beetle measuring three inches across at the entrance to Pembrey Country Park in August. He said: “It flew in and crashed on to the tarmac path in front of me like a miniature Lancaster bomber and making just making as much sound as it clattered and bounced on the ground.

“It scuttled into the sand after I tentatively approached it and in burrowed straight into the ground.

“It was quite spooky. I have never seen anything like that. Rangers told me it was probably a stag beetle. They have a noisy flight and can grow up to five inches.

“The one I saw was built like a cricket ball.”