Richard Collins: Wasps don’t deserve the bad buzz

Do wasps become more aggressive from September onwards? With their queen preparing for hibernation, are they extra-protective of the colony? Food stocks might be running low. Hunger makes people bad-tempered; does it do the same to wasps? So, what’s the best way to avoid being stung?

Honeybee colonies survive the winter, wasp ones don’t. Come late autumn, a wasp queen deserts the slaves that served her throughout the summer. They die, while she seeks out a cool dry place in which to hibernate.