If you are staying at The Queen Bee Cabin during the warmer months, particularly in summer and early autumn, you may occasionally notice wasps flying around the outside of the cabin.

As a countryside retreat surrounded by fields, woodland and wildlife in South Herefordshire, we share our little corner of the countryside with all sorts of insects and animals. Wasps are one of those seasonal visitors.

Although seeing several wasps can understandably be a little worrying, their presence around the outside of the cabin does not necessarily mean that there is a wasps’ nest inside or underneath it.

Why are wasps interested in the wooden cabin?

One reason you may notice wasps inspecting the outside of The Queen Bee Cabin is the natural timber used to clad the building.

The exterior of the cabin includes sweet chestnut cladding, and you may occasionally see a wasp land on the timber and appear to nibble, scrape or chew its surface.

This is normal wasp behaviour.

Wasps build their nests from a surprisingly paper-like material. Worker wasps collect tiny fibres by rasping exposed wood from places such as fences, sheds, trees and timber buildings. They mix those fibres with saliva and carry the resulting material away to add to their nest.

The Royal Horticultural Society confirms that wasps collect nest-building material by rasping fibres from exposed wood and turning them into the paper-like substance from which their nests are constructed.

So, if you see an individual wasp carefully working on a small area of our chestnut cladding before flying away, it is quite possible that it is simply collecting building material rather than trying to make a nest in the cabin.

Why are there more wasps at this time of year?

Wasp activity changes considerably through the seasons.

Queen wasps begin establishing colonies in spring. As summer progresses, worker numbers increase and the nest becomes much larger. By late summer, some nests can be larger than a football and contain hundreds of active worker wasps.

This means that seeing more wasps during July, August and early autumn is quite normal in the British countryside.

Later in the season, wasps can also become much more interested in sweet food and drinks, which is why they sometimes make an unwelcome appearance at outdoor meals, picnics and barbecues.

It is therefore possible to see several wasps around a rural property without there being a nest anywhere within the building.

How can you tell if there might actually be a nest?

An occasional wasp landing on the timber is usually nothing to worry about.

What we are more interested in is a continuous stream of wasps repeatedly entering and leaving exactly the same hole or gap. The RHS identifies this regular flow of wasps to and from one entrance as one of the clearest signs of a social wasp nest.

If you notice this during your stay, please do not investigate the hole or try to block it yourself.

Simply let us know where you have seen the activity. We can inspect it and, if necessary, arrange for the appropriate professional treatment.

How to discourage wasps while you are outside

Fortunately, a few simple habits can make encounters with wasps much less likely.

When enjoying the outdoor areas around the cabin:

• Keep sweet drinks and food covered when you are not consuming them.
• Take particular care with open cans and bottles, as a wasp can sometimes crawl inside unnoticed.
• Clear away food scraps and empty glasses after eating outside.
• Keep rubbish securely contained.
• Avoid leaving very sweet foods, fruit or sugary drinks outdoors.
• If a wasp approaches, stay calm and move away slowly rather than swatting at it.
• Avoid deliberately disturbing a wasp that is collecting fibres from the outside of the cabin.

Keeping bins closed and rinsing containers that have held food or sweet drinks can also help reduce things that attract wasps. The British Pest Control Association recommends good housekeeping and removing accessible food sources as part of reducing wasp activity around buildings.

We do not recommend guests spraying wasps, applying insecticide to the cabin or attempting to treat a suspected nest.

If something concerns you, please contact us instead.

What should you do if a wasp comes near you?

The most important thing is not to panic or start waving your arms at it.

A wasp flying around you is usually investigating its surroundings rather than actively trying to sting you.

Move away calmly and give it space.

Wasps are most likely to sting when they feel threatened, are trapped against the skin or believe their nest is being disturbed.

What to do if you are stung by a wasp

Most wasp stings are painful but minor and improve within a few days.

If you are stung:

1. Move away from the area so that you are less likely to be stung again.
2. Wash the affected area with soap and water.
3. Apply an ice pack wrapped in a cloth, or a clean cloth soaked in cold water, for at least 20 minutes if there is swelling.
4. Keep the affected limb raised where practical.
5. Paracetamol or ibuprofen may help with pain if these medicines are normally suitable for you.
6. An antihistamine may help with itching, and a pharmacist can advise you about appropriate treatments.
7. Try not to scratch the area, as broken skin can become infected.

These steps follow current NHS advice for treating insect bites and stings.

Unlike honeybees, wasps normally do not leave their sting behind. If something does appear to have been left in the skin, NHS guidance recommends scraping it sideways with a fingernail or the edge of a bank card rather than squeezing it with tweezers.

When should you get medical help?

Most reactions are limited to pain, redness and swelling around the sting.

However, contact NHS 111 for urgent advice if symptoms are becoming worse, you have been stung several times, you have been stung around the mouth, throat or eyes, you become dizzy or you have previously experienced a serious allergic reaction to an insect sting.

Call 999 immediately if there are signs of a severe allergic reaction

A serious allergic reaction, known as anaphylaxis, is uncommon but requires emergency treatment.

Call 999 immediately if someone develops symptoms such as:

• sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat;
• difficulty breathing, wheezing or gasping;
• difficulty swallowing or a tight feeling in the throat;
• severe dizziness, confusion or drowsiness;
• fainting or becoming unresponsive.

If the person carries a prescribed adrenaline auto-injector, such as an EpiPen, it should be used according to their emergency treatment plan while an ambulance is called.

Wasps are part of our countryside too

We appreciate that wasps are not everybody’s favourite countryside visitor. However, they are an important part of the local ecosystem, helping to control populations of caterpillars, aphids and other insects.

At The Queen Bee Cabin, our approach is therefore not to remove wildlife simply because it is present.

An occasional wasp collecting fibres from the chestnut cladding or passing through the garden is generally nothing to be concerned about. Where a nest is found in a position that could present a genuine risk to guests, however, we will take appropriate action.

The Queen Bee Cabin is surrounded by the beautiful South Herefordshire countryside, and being close to nature is part of what makes staying here special. From bees and butterflies to birds, bats and the occasional inquisitive wasp, there is usually something sharing the landscape with us.

If you see wasp activity that concerns you during your stay — particularly a steady stream of wasps entering and leaving one particular spot — please contact us rather than attempting to deal with it yourself.

We will be very happy to take a look and make sure you can get back to enjoying a peaceful stay at The Queen Bee Cabin.