Wasps survive the cold to fight another day

Painful encounter with a hardy woodland colony raises questions about the effects of climate change

Fear of wasps has always seemed to me irrational, but since inadvertently standing on a wasps’ nest two weeks ago my opinion has been revised. Deep in a local wood and stopping to admire a fungus on a log pile, I was alerted by a deep buzzing to the fact that both trouser legs were filling up with wasps.

Not content with stinging both legs, the workers also attacked my face and neck, as well as the dog. They were still stinging both of us when we reached the car half a mile away and followed us into the vehicle.

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