Odense Municipality to spend millions combating 'worm from hell'

Odense Municipality is set to allocate 10 million Danish kroner to combat a pest described as the 'worm from hell.' The municipality aims to significantly ramp up efforts against this nuisance, which has severely bothered residents in recent weeks.

The issue has prompted strong reactions, with hundreds of Odense residents attending a public meeting and a demonstration held outside the city hall. Climate and environmental councilor Tim Vermund Andersen stated, "We cannot live with our citizens being bothered in the way we have experienced over the past few weeks."

The warm weather has created favorable conditions for wasps, leading to a surge in pest control requests. Companies report an approximately 80% increase in inquiries about wasp nests compared to normal. One pest control firm noted handling up to 13 nests in a single assignment, indicating the scale of the problem.

This increased activity is attributed to a combination of moist, dry, and warm spring weather, which has boosted wasp populations. The municipality's new funding is intended to provide a more robust response to the growing problem.