Stinging insects can certainly put a damper on people’s outdoor activities during warmer seasons. Generally, people do their best to avoid encounters with wasps during the summer. However, it is not uncommon for people to find themselves running from one single wasp while indulging in outdoor events. It only takes one wasp to cause a person to go running for the hills, but sometimes running is not an option. Most people prefer not to risk killing an invading wasp, as sustaining a painful or even deadly sting becomes much more likely in this scenario. However, if a person chooses to kill an unwanted wasp, then who can stop him or her from doing so? Well, in the country of Germany, it is against the law to kill wasps, and ignoring this law could cost perpetrators as much as 50,000 euros in fines.
The Federal Nature Conservation Act in Germany prohibits people from killing wasps, and several other insects, such as certain beetle species, bumblebees and butterflies. In fact, the law even prohibits actions in which citizens knowingly “disturb” wasps. However, the law does allow for the destruction of wasps as long as there exists a reasonable cause for doing so. For example, people who have allergies to insect venom can protect themselves by killing wasps if necessary. Since disturbing wasps is also illegal, removing problematic nests from certain areas is prohibited unless a permit for the removal of the nest is attained. Most pest control professionals naturally possess these permits, but unless you are an exterminator or an allergy sufferer, killing wasps in Germany can cost anywhere between 5 and 50,000 euros in fines. Although, the prohibition of wasp-murder is a federal law in Germany, the fines vary from state to state within the country. This law was enacted in order to deter people from killing insects that are important for maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.
Do you think that fines for killing wasps in Germany are rarely enforced due to the difficulty involved with proving guilt?