Their sting is painful – but what is true about the myths surrounding the mosquito? Tips on how to relieve swelling and itching.
The most important things at a glance
How dangerous is a hornet sting?
Symptoms: swelling and itching
First aid: How to treat a hornet sting
Hornet stings in children
Allergy symptoms
Hornet stings in dogs and cats
Interesting facts about the hornet
Do not remove hornet nests yourself
The fact that many people are afraid of hornets (Vespa crabro) has to do with the size of the insect and the pain of the sting. However, the rumor that seven hornet stings can kill a horse and three stings can kill a person is not true. A hornet sting is no more dangerous than other insect stings for people without allergies.
How dangerous is a hornet sting?
Although hornets have a larger stinger than wasps and bees, their poison is no more dangerous to humans. According to its composition, it is even less toxic than that of bees and wasps. In addition, significantly more poison enters the body with a bee sting than with a hornet sting.
A hornet sting, on the other hand, is significantly more painful than a wasp or bee sting. This is not only due to the size of the stinger, but also to the neurotransmitter acetylcholine contained in the hornet venom, which is responsible for the severe pain.
Hornet stings in children
If children are stung by a hornet, proceed as you would with adults. Stay calm, place a warm washcloth on the wound and then cool the injection site. The worst thing for the little patients is the pain.
Do not remove hornet nests yourself
Hornets build their nests in cavities, such as bird nesting boxes or wooden cladding on facades. Since hornets are protected species, nests may not be removed or relocated without permission from the municipality or city. However, this is usually not necessary since the hornet’s nest is only inhabited in the summer months.
During this time the population grows to a size of up to 700 animals. From mid-October, the workers die and the queen looks for a place to overwinter in the ground or in rotten wood.
