Stinging insects descend on Alberta's Fort McMurray after devastating fires and floods

Swarms of stinging insects have descended on Fort McMurray, Alberta, following the fires and flooding that have plagued the city. The wasps, bees and hornets moved into areas of the city that were deserted following a wildfire that forced 90,000 residents to flee their homes.

Whole neighbourhoods in Fort McMurray were left empty as fire ravaged the area last month, with some residents still unable to return to their houses, and the stinging insects thrived with the absence of people, CBC news reported.

Royal Alberta Museum entomologist Peter Heule told CBC news: "It's been weeks, a month, where the wasps could build and do whatever they want to do. So the wasps have been building nests, because this is the time of year that they're naturally doing that.

"And the wasps may very well have chosen those sites because it didn't seem like there was any kind of human disturbance. And now they are hassling people. I don't see that it's related to the wildfire as much as it is related to the evacuation."

Insect nests have reportedly been built around people's empty homes, on porches and in nooks and crannies, forcing residents to call in pest control or in some cases attempt to fight the insects themselves.

Residents have also taken to social media to share their experiences with the swarms, with one, Josh Spasso Shankowsky, writing on Facebook: "Continued hell on earth in ft McMurray. Fires, bloods and insects, just need Damon and maybe the four horsemen live?"

Others were sharing their tips for how to get rid of insects, with several stating they had found different methods to get the insects out of their homes and gardens.