They feed on fruits and need to collect wood to construct nests which means that wasps may damage the wooden fabric of buildings, fences and garden furniture.

Wasps are a particular nuisance at the end of the summer when the workers are freed of the need to collect foods for their young and can indulge their passion for sweet materials e.g. jam. They cause a nuisance when entering kitchens where foodstuffs can be contaminated and staff can be stung.

It is the ability of wasps to cause painful stings that concern most people. The sting is caused by the injection of venom onto the victim. Unlike the sting of bees the wasp sting can be withdrawn from the victim. The venom is haemolytic, haemorrhagic and neurotoxic. Histamine is also present which causes the redness, flare and weal in skin. The main hazard is the risk of anaphylactic shock arising from repeated stings or even a single one which may lead to death.

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