Palmerston-born Phil Lester knows how to capture his audience.
That story had a happy ending, but in New Zealand about two people die each year from wasp stings and many need medical treatment after stings.
And, if you are a young man it seems you are more likely to be stung than women are. A 1993 study developed the "wasp sting stupidity chart" which showed young men were more likely to take risks around wasps — part of their hunter-gatherer drive, apparently.
As Lester puts it: "Genes are an oft-used excuse for questionable male behaviours, but this one stings."
That sentence is typical of the light touch Lester brings to this serious subject, making what could have been a turgid analysis of a worthy topic into an enjoyable read full of fascinating information.
This book will tell you more than you possibly ever wanted to know about wasps, including the fact that in parts of Japan wasps are regarded as a "caviar of the forest".
"In the past New Zealand has exported wasp larvae to Japan, which makes a nice change from exporting sheep."
Lester, a professor in ecology and entomology at Victoria University, says the evidence is clear wasps cause substantial economic loss, affect human health and have a major impact on biodiversity.
More than half of the estimated annual $133 million cost of wasps in New Zealand is the result of damage or lost opportunities in beekeeping. Wasps raid beehives, collecting honey and killing bees for food.
Lester concedes this "maligned and misunderstood creature" provides some benefit, increasing carbon sequestration, and that they might assist pollination and help contain some other invaders such as the great white butterfly.
"But on balance, I think wasps do cause net harm in their invaded range."
He sees them as a pest we have an obligation to manage, in a safe humane way.
Gene drives which rapidly spread mutations or deleterious genetic modifications have potential to achieve widespread eradication of many pests and diseases. In another 10 years, it is possible this technology will be ready to eradicate pests from whole continents, he says. The author asks whether that is what we would want.
Lester’s book is a timely read for anyone with a passing interest in wasps or New Zealand’s biodiversity.
You might not fall in love with wasps, but learn to appreciate them as "amazingly efficient predators with some exceptionally smart behaviours", and be better equipped to take part in any debate about their future.
- Elspeth McLean is an ODT columnist and former health reporter.
