KEY WASP SPECIES

These are the social wasps that you’re most likely to encounter

1 EUROPEAN HORNET Vespa crabro

The European hornet is about twice the size of the other social wasps but despite its looks is unlikely to bother you at picnics. Hornet colonies have a single queen and around 100 workers. They like to nest in tree cavities or bird boxes.

2 YELLOW-LEGGED ASIAN HORNET Vespa velutina

This Asian species is a voracious predator of honeybees that was inadvertently introduced to southern Europe in 2004. It’s now widespread in France, Spain, Italy and Belgium, but not the UK, which has an effective extermination protocol for dealing with these invaders. Suspected sightings can be reported using the Asian Hornet Watch app (available for Apple and Android devices) or by emailing details and photos to the Centre for Ecology & Hydrology alertnonnative@ceh.ac.uk.

3 COMMON/GERMAN WASP Vespula vulgaris/germanica

These are the wasps most likely to upset your picnic. V. germanica tends to be more bad tempered than V. vulgaris. These two species are practically identical but you can tell them apart by their facial and thorax markings. Both species have a single queen who produces 6,000 to 10,000 workers. They make football-sized nests in the ground or in roofs and trees.

4 RED WASP Vespula rufa

Red wasps have a distinguishing red tinge on their abdomens. Their nests are smaller and always underground. A single queen will produce around 300 workers. The colony cycle of V. rufa is shorter than V. vulgaris/germanica, ending in late August.

5 DOLICHOVESPULA SPECIES

There are three species of Dolichovespula in the UK. The most common is Dolichovespula media. You can tell them from Vespula as they’re bigger and have blacker abdomens and are only seen in early-mid summer. Their new queens leave the nest in early August and thereafter the colony soon winds down.