Are wasp and hornet nests dangerous?
A wasp nest itself is not dangerous, but the individual wasps when working as a unit can be formidable. Wasp venom can be life threatening to certain susceptible individuals who are allergic. But if stung enough times, even people who are not allergic can be overwhelmed by wasp venom. 30 stings or more can be deadly and the affect of wasp stings is accumulative i.e. the more stings you receive the worse your reaction will be. There are usually a few deaths each year from wasp attacks, which sounds horrific, but when compared to the number of wasp nests each year and the amount of people living in the UK, it is not as bad as it sounds. The temper of the nest or mood is determined by the queen. If she is a particularly nasty individual, this behaviour will be passed on to her offspring and the entire nest will be aggressive.
