Albertans can expect healthy wasp, ant and beetle populations this year

It's not just Albertans who have been enjoying the mild winter and spring.

The bugs love it too.

The warmer temperatures have luredflying insects such as wasps, bumblebees, ants and beetles out of hiding.

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"Easily three to four weeks earlier than normal," Ken Fry, an entomologist at Olds College, told the Calgary Eyeopener on Monday.

He said insects respond directly to "how hot or how cold it was" and not the calendar date.

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Winter didn't kill them

Normally, winter does a good job keeping the province's bug population at bay.

"That's the beauty of living in north temperate Alberta... Itreducesalotof the insects."

But Frysaid it wasn't cold enough, for long enough, andAlbertans should be prepared to do some serious swatting this summer.

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That's bad news for those who are allergic to their stingers, but good news for gardeners.

"Those things are predators they eat a lot of the caterpillars and grubs that feed on our plants."

With files from the Calgary Eyeopener