Wasps have invaded a scenic Victorian town, and one local man is on a mission to get rid of the "vicious buggers".
Daylesford local and self-proclaimed "wasp whisperer" Ron Layfield said the town, 112km northwest of Melbourne, has been taken over by the pests.
Locals are desperate to get rid of them, and Mr Layfield has been busy attending call-outs.
"It is getting out of hand, just this year I've gotten rid of about 200 nests and you wouldn't believe how many of the vicious buggers are inside," he told AAP on Thursday.
"Last year we picked up over 1000 nests, but I reckon they'll be more this year if something isn't done."
Mr Layfield started exterminating wasps in the 1990s and said the problem has worsened since then.
"I hate doing it - I hate them more than anything in this world - but someone has to do it, you can't just shut your eyes and pretend it's not happening," he said.
"This is beyond our local government, I need help. I could do with 500 of me."
A Hepburn Shire spokeswoman said they only had the power to remove nests on council land.
"We are inundated and it is a problem, but unfortunately we can't really do much when it comes to private land," she said.
The spokeswoman said she had been bitten by a wasp at the weekend.
Warmer winters are being blamed for the infestation.
