A mild winter meant that the nests of European wasps were not reduced as per normal.

And now anecdotal reports are pointing to nests being the busiest for 10 to 15 years.

A Wangaratta florist reported being stung up to 30 times when she tried delivering flowers to a home.

The wasps stung her through her clothing and followed her back to her van.

Shops in the main street of Yackandandah last week were warning customers of wasp numbers.

Managing director of Border Pest Control Michael Comfort said there had definitely been an influx.

“About two years ago they declined and we might have done five jobs for the year,” he said, of dealing with wasp nests.

“Now we’re doing four or five jobs a week; up until this year they seemed to have been going backwards but they’re back with a vengeance.”

Mr Comfort said there was little anyone could do about wasps if you can’t find the nest.

If you do find the nest it’s a simple pesticide treatment but otherwise, he said traps weren’t very successful.

A Liberal member of parliament called on his party in Canberra on Tuesday to put $1.5 million towards finding a biological solution for European wasps, as they have been terrorising the eastern suburbs of Melbourne.

Melbourne Museum’s manager of live exhibits Patrick Hanon was previously the leader of the research program into wasps for the state government.

While Melburnians are complaining about numbers, Mr Hanon said they were particularly abundant in regional areas.

“Because there is no one researching them, it is all anecdotal but it sounds like it is fairly widespread,” he said.