What a Normal Sting Does
Sharp pain, a red raised area, swelling and itching around the site, easing over a few hours and gone within a day or two. That is the ordinary reaction and it is not an allergy. Cool it, keep it clean, and leave it alone.
Some people get a large local reaction — swelling spreading well beyond the sting, sometimes across a whole limb, peaking after a day or two. It looks alarming and it is still a local reaction rather than a systemic one, though it is worth a pharmacist's advice, particularly on a hand, foot or face.
When It Is Not Ordinary
Symptoms away from the sting site are the ones that matter: difficulty breathing, wheeze, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, a widespread rash, dizziness, faintness or collapse. That is an emergency — use an adrenaline auto-injector if one is prescribed and call 999. Do not wait to see whether it settles.
That is not advice we are qualified to extend. We are pest controllers, not clinicians — anything beyond a sore, swollen sting site goes to a pharmacist, a GP or 999 depending on how severe it is, and we would rather say that plainly than offer reassurance we are not in a position to give.
Why Wasps Sting More Than Once
A wasp's sting is not barbed, so unlike a honey bee it does not tear away and the wasp survives to sting again. That is why a disturbed nest produces multiple stings on one person rather than one each from several insects.
A threatened wasp also releases an alarm pheromone that recruits others. This is the mechanism behind almost every account that begins with one wasp and ends with a great many, and it is why swatting at one near a nest is such a bad idea.
Not Getting Stung in the First Place
- Do not swat, wave or crush one near a nest
- Move away steadily rather than running or flailing
- Keep clear of a known entrance, especially in late summer
- Never mow, strim or hedge-cut near a nest
- Wear shoes on a lawn with a ground nest anywhere in it
- Check drinks and cans before drinking outdoors
And if somebody in the house carries an auto-injector for insect stings, a nest on the property is not something to leave until the weather does it for you.