Agony or painless?

WASPS

Vespula vulgaris (common) and Vespula germanica (German) are the species most common in the UK and cause painful stings. They nest in lofts, garages and wall cavities.

EUROPEAN HORNETS

These dangerous insects measure as long as 4cm and have an orange abdomen with brown stripes. Thankfully rare in Britain, they are able to bite and sting at the same time.

GREAT WOOD WASPS

Despite looking fearsome, they are all bark and no bite. Females have a long, pointed tube which is often mistaken for a stinger but is actually an organ used to lay eggs.

HOVERFLIES

Making a living out of looking dangerous, these insects appear threatening but can’t actually sting. Their yellow and black markings resemble those of bees and wasps.

HONEY BEES

After stinging something, they are unable to pull their barbed stinger back out, so they end up ripping out part of their abdomen and digestive tract – dying as a result.

BUMBLEBEES

Despite being fluffy, they can actually sting. And unlike honey bees, they can do it repeatedly. They normally only sting in defence, so our advice is to leave them alone.

SOLITARY BEES

As the name suggests they live alone – but they nest near each other, feeding on honey and pollen. Only the female bee can sting and will only ever do so in defence.