A company from the district says it has invented a wasp-repelling device to keep the stinging insects at bay.

And the inventors say the Waspinator can finally create sting-free zones during the summer months without killing the creatures or using any chemicals, making it both insect and eco-friendly.

The Waspinator is an artificial wasps’ nest set up to fool wasps into believing a colony has set up home and keeps them away for fear of attack.

Richard Piddocke, of Waspinator, which is based in Ilkley, said: “Waspinator is based upon the principle that prevention is always better than cure. Conventional wasp traps aim to deal with wasps by first attracting and then killing them – but why do this when you can just prevent them from coming near you in the first place?

“When a wasp is trapped and dying it emits a pheromone, which acts like a panic signal, and other wasps will come to see what the problem is.

“As even an average-sized wasps’ nest contains at least 2,000 wasps you will never completely deal with the problem with traps, so keeping them away is a more effective solution.”

As well as gardens and outdoor areas of pubs and bars, inventors say the Waspinator is perfect for preventing wasp invasions in many other places such as boats, tents and caravans and can easily be taken on holiday.

The company also says it requires no cleaning or maintenance and is a far more cost-effective solution than more traditional pest control methods.

“Wasps perform a useful job by being natural pest controllers themselves – they kill aphids and caterpillars which attack plants. Ideally we should refrain from killing wasps, but aim to live in harmony with them whilst keeping them at bay by using a Waspinator.”