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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, for the pain and swelling of a hornet sting and for large local reactions; anaphylaxis needs 112.
- A hornet sting: a wasp sting from a larger insect. Hornets leave no sting behind and can sting more than once.
- Normal reaction: pain at once, then a red, swollen, itchy patch that peaks at about 48 hours and clears within a week.
- Large local reaction: redness and swelling spreading beyond about 10 cm, or still growing after 2 days: a doctor should see it.
- Asian hornets: the sting poses no greater risk to health than the sting of a native wasp or hornet, unless you are allergic.
- Emergency: a swelling lip, tongue or throat, wheezing, faintness or a rash spreading over the body after a sting: adrenaline if you carry it, then 112.
Do not book a video appointment if, after a hornet sting, your lips, tongue or throat are swelling, you are wheezing or struggling to breathe or swallow, you feel faint or confused, or your skin or lips have gone pale, grey or blue. That is anaphylaxis: use an adrenaline auto-injector if you carry one, call 112, and lie flat with your legs up while you wait.
Can an online doctor treat a hornet sting?
Yes. A hornet sting is a wasp sting from a bigger insect, and for most people it means nothing worse than pain and a swollen patch that first aid settles. By video the doctor sees the sting and how far the swelling reaches, asks the questions that separate a local reaction from an allergic one, treats a large local reaction, and decides whether you need an allergy clinic or adrenaline to carry. Anaphylaxis is for 112, not for a video call.
How an online consultation helps with a hornet sting
- Allergy ruled in or out: Anything happening away from the sting, a rash elsewhere, a swollen face, feeling faint, comes first, because it decides everything else.
- The swelling measured: How far the redness has spread since the sting, whether it is still growing, and whether it is a large local reaction or an infection setting in.
- Relief chosen for you: Pain relief, an antihistamine or a steroid cream, checked against the medicines you already take.
- A plan for next time: Whether you need an allergy clinic or adrenaline auto-injectors, and how to keep out of a hornet’s way.
What the doctor checks in an online hornet sting consultation
Allergy comes first, then the sting itself. The doctor asks about:
- Signs beyond the sting: a rash elsewhere on the body, swelling of the face, lips or tongue, wheezing, dizziness, or stomach pain and vomiting after the sting.
- The sting: where you were stung, how wide the swelling is now, and whether it has grown since.
- How many stings: one, or several, because a disturbed nest can mean many stings in seconds, and those need medical advice.
- Earlier stings: what wasp, hornet or bee stings did to you before, and any adrenaline or allergy tests you have had.
- Your health: other allergies, long-term conditions, and the medicines you take.
Draw round the edge of the redness with a pen before the call and note the time: the doctor can then see whether it is still spreading.
What to do after a hornet sting
Hornets are large wasps. Like other wasps, they do not usually leave a sting behind in the skin, so there is nothing to pull out, and they can sting more than once. After a sting:
- Walk away from the hornet and from any nest, calmly and without swatting.
- Take rings, watches and tight sleeves off near the sting before the swelling starts.
- Clean the sting with soap and water.
- Cool it with a wrapped ice pack or a cold, wet cloth for 20 minutes or more.
- Keep the stung part raised when you can, which limits the swelling.
- Use paracetamol or ibuprofen for the pain, and an antihistamine tablet for the itch and the swelling.
Leave the sting alone afterwards: scratching opens the skin to infection, and kitchen remedies such as bicarbonate of soda do nothing for the venom.
Hornet sting symptoms: normal, large local and allergic reactions
A hornet sting hurts straight away, then leaves a red, swollen and sometimes itchy area about 1 cm across, with a small mark where the sting went in. The redness and swelling usually peak at about 48 hours and can last a week. How the body reacts decides what you need to do:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Reaction | What you notice | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Normal reaction | Pain at once, then a red, swollen patch around the sting that eases over a few days | First aid; painkillers and an antihistamine if you need them |
| Large local reaction | Redness and swelling spreading beyond about 10 cm, still growing after a day or two | A doctor: often an antihistamine, sometimes steroid tablets |
| Infection | Warmth, spreading redness, more pain or pus a few days after the sting | A doctor |
| Anaphylaxis | Swelling of the face or throat, wheezing, a rash spreading over the body, faintness or collapse | Adrenaline, then 112 |
Swelling and pain at the sting are the venom at work, not an allergy. An allergic reaction shows itself away from the sting. If a wasp or hornet sting has ever done that to you, treat every hornet sting as a risk: keep your adrenaline with you and ask about allergy testing.
Can a hornet sting kill you?
Rarely. In someone with a severe allergy, a single sting can be fatal, which is why anaphylaxis needs adrenaline and 112 straight away. Without an allergy, only a very large number of stings is dangerous: the average person can tolerate about 22 stings per kilogram of body weight, so an adult can withstand more than 1,000 stings, while 500 could kill a child. In the United States, hornet, wasp and bee stings cause around 70 deaths a year.
What does a hornet look like? European and Asian hornets
Hornets are large wasps, and two live in Europe. The European hornet is native: up to 3.5 cm long, much larger than a common wasp, with brown and yellow stripes rather than black and yellow, and an obvious narrow waist. It lives in woodland, parks and gardens, nests in hollow trees and cavities in buildings, and is active from May to November. The Asian hornet was first confirmed in France in 2004, probably arriving in a shipment of pottery from China, and has spread to other countries since. It was first found in the UK in 2016, in Tetbury.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What differs | European hornet | Asian hornet |
|---|---|---|
| Size | Workers about 30 mm, queens up to 35 mm | Smaller: workers about 25 mm, queens up to 30 mm |
| Colours | A brown thorax and a brown and yellow striped abdomen | A mostly black abdomen with one yellow band, yellow legs and an orange face |
| Behaviour | Less aggressive than common wasps, and unlikely to sting if left alone | Not generally aggressive towards people, but do not approach or disturb a nest |
| Risk from a sting | Like a wasp sting | No greater than a native wasp or hornet, but a risk for people allergic to wasp or hornet stings |
The Asian hornet preys on honeybees, and a single colony can produce an average of 6,000 hornets in a season. In the UK, sightings are reported through the Asian Hornet Watch app, with a photo if you can take one safely.
Should you kill a European hornet?
There is no need. European hornets are a native species, less aggressive than common wasps and unlikely to sting if left alone, and they hunt other insects and help pollinate plants. Keep away from a nest and leave its removal to a professional.
Which hornet sting treatment might the doctor recommend?
Treatment follows the kind of reaction, and what earlier stings did to you. This is the framework the doctors use, in line with NHS and UK allergy guidance:
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pain and swelling at the sting only | First aid; painkillers and an antihistamine | Yes | Not usually needed |
| Redness and swelling beyond about 10 cm | An antihistamine, often a short course of steroid tablets, and a look at your sting history | Yes | If the swelling reaches the mouth or throat, or breathing is affected: 112 |
| A sting in the mouth, on the tongue or near an eye | A look at the swelling by video | Yes, to assess | As soon as breathing, swallowing or eyesight is affected |
| Many stings at once, for example from a disturbed nest | Assessment, and advice on what to watch for | Yes, to assess | If you feel sick, faint or unwell |
| An earlier reaction away from the sting | Referral to an allergy clinic, and adrenaline auto-injectors to carry | Yes | For allergy tests and venom immunotherapy |
| Anaphylaxis now | Adrenaline and emergency care | No | 112 now |
Stung by a hornet and unsure what your reaction means? A doctor can tell you in one consultation.
See available times →Treatment options for hornet stings
What you can do yourself
- Clean, cool and raise the sting, as in the first aid above.
- Paracetamol or ibuprofen for the pain.
- Start an antihistamine early and keep taking it until the swelling is on its way down.
- A pharmacist can suggest a hydrocortisone cream for the itch; keep your nails off the sting.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. When the swelling is large, the doctor may prescribe a short course of steroid tablets. When a sting has caused symptoms away from the sting itself, the doctor can prescribe adrenaline auto-injectors, two to carry at all times, and refer you to an allergy clinic, where venom immunotherapy, a course of injections of tiny and rising amounts of venom, can make a serious reaction to a future sting less likely. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Bicarbonate of soda, vinegar and other kitchen remedies do nothing for hornet venom. An antihistamine treats the local reaction only: anaphylaxis needs adrenaline, at once.
How to avoid hornet stings
Hornets sting to defend a nest or when they are trapped against skin, so most stings are avoidable:
- Never swat at a hornet or wave your arms: step away slowly. One that lands on you usually leaves within a few seconds if you keep still.
- Give nests a wide berth: in hollow trees, hedges, sheds, wall cavities and roof spaces. A professional removes them.
- Cover food and sweet drinks outdoors, and look into a glass or can before you sip from it.
- Steer clear of fallen fruit and open bins in late summer and autumn, when hornet colonies are at their largest.
- Skip strong perfumes outdoors in summer, and keep windows screened at night: European hornets fly after dark and come to lit rooms.
Special situations
Several stings at once
Hornets defend their nest together, so a disturbed nest can mean many stings in seconds. Many stings can make you unwell even if you are not allergic: get medical advice, and call 112 at any sign of a severe reaction.
A sting in the mouth or throat
Hornets are drawn to sweet drinks and ripe fruit, and a sting inside the mouth can swell enough to narrow the airway. Get medical advice at once, and call 112 if swallowing or breathing gets harder.
If you carry adrenaline
Keep two in-date auto-injectors with you, show the people around you how to use them, and if the first dose has not helped within 5 minutes, use the second.
Beekeepers
Asian hornets hunt around beehives in late summer and autumn. Wear full protective clothing near hives, and know your sting allergy plan.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When a hornet sting is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: the pain and swelling of a hornet sting, large local reactions, and planning after a reaction: an allergy referral, adrenaline to carry, and how to avoid the next sting.
In-person care: anaphylaxis, a sting in the mouth or throat that affects breathing or swallowing, allergy testing, and venom immunotherapy.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- your lips, tongue, mouth or throat are swelling
- you are wheezing, breathing fast or with difficulty, or cannot swallow properly
- you are suddenly confused, drowsy, faint, or have collapsed
- your skin or lips have gone pale, grey or blue, or an itchy, swollen rash is spreading over your body
Get medical advice the same day for:
- a sting in the mouth or throat, or near an eye
- stomach pain, vomiting or dizziness after the sting
- several stings, for example near a nest
- swelling still growing after 2 days, or a high temperature with swollen glands
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CEST. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about the sting: show the swelling on camera, say when the hornet stung you, how far the redness has spread since, and what earlier stings did to you.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s a hornet sting? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Wasp stings can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about hornet stings
What does a hornet look like?
The European hornet is a large wasp, up to 3.5 cm long, with a brown thorax, brown and yellow stripes rather than black and yellow, and a narrow waist. The Asian hornet is smaller, with a mostly black abdomen with one yellow band, yellow legs and an orange face.
Why do hornets sting, and what is in the venom?
Hornets sting to defend the nest or themselves, usually when someone comes within a few metres of a nest, swats at them, or traps one in clothing or a drink; away from the nest they are less aggressive than common wasps. The hornet sting venom contains histamine, acetylcholine and enzymes that cause immediate pain, redness and swelling, in a larger dose than a wasp delivers, which is why it hurts more although it is no more dangerous for people who are not allergic.
What does a hornet sting look like?
A red, swollen and sometimes itchy area about 1 cm across, with a small mark where the sting went in. In a large local reaction, the swelling spreads more than about 10 cm across over 1 to 2 days.
Is it a hornet sting or something else?
A hornet sting is a single, instantly painful puncture that swells into one red, hot patch within an hour, with no stinger left behind, after an encounter with a large yellow-and-brown insect. A bee sting leaves the stinger in the skin; horsefly bites bleed and come from a biting fly in summer fields; a spider bite is usually two tiny marks and slower to swell; and a bite that only becomes hot and painful 2 to 3 days later is infected rather than a reaction.
What should I do at home after a hornet sting?
Move away calmly, take off rings or anything tight nearby, wash the area, hold an ice pack wrapped in a cloth on it for at least 20 minutes, and raise it. Paracetamol or ibuprofen eases the pain, and an antihistamine helps with itching and swelling. Hornets do not usually leave a sting behind.
How long does a hornet sting last?
The pain of a hornet sting starts straight away, and the redness and swelling usually peak at about 48 hours, then settle over a few days to a week. A large local reaction can keep growing for 24 to 48 hours before it starts to go down.
Are hornet stings more dangerous than wasp stings?
Usually not. A hornet sting is painful, but for most people it causes the same local pain and swelling as a wasp sting. The danger is an allergic reaction, which is a risk mainly for people who are allergic to wasp or hornet stings.
Can a hornet sting kill you?
Rarely. In someone with a severe allergy, a single sting can be fatal without prompt adrenaline. Without an allergy, only hundreds of stings at once are dangerous: an adult can withstand more than 1,000 stings, while 500 could kill a child.
Is an Asian hornet sting dangerous?
An Asian hornet poses no greater risk to health than a native wasp or hornet. It is a risk for people who are allergic to wasp or hornet stings, who should keep their adrenaline with them.
What are the signs of an allergic reaction to a hornet sting?
A reaction away from the sting: a swelling lip, tongue or throat, wheezing, an itchy rash spreading over the body, dizziness, confusion or fainting. Adrenaline if you carry it, then 112.
When should I see a doctor about a hornet sting?
If the swelling is more than about 10 cm across or keeps growing, if you were stung in the mouth, throat or near the eye, if you were stung several times, or if you have reacted badly to a sting before.
Should I kill a European hornet?
There is no need. European hornets are native, less aggressive than common wasps and unlikely to sting if left alone. Keep away from a nest and leave its removal to a professional.
Can I be allergic to hornets but not bees?
Yes. People are usually not allergic to both bees and wasps, and hornets are a type of wasp. Allergy tests can show which venom you react to, although they cannot predict how severe a future reaction would be.
Can an online doctor treat a hornet sting?
Yes, when the problem is pain, swelling or a large local reaction. By video the doctor assesses the sting, recommends treatment, and can refer you to an allergy clinic or prescribe adrenaline auto-injectors. Anaphylaxis is 112.
- Insect bites and stings, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 1 June 2023.
- Insect sting allergy, Anaphylaxis UK, accessed 15 October 2026.
- Bee, wasp, hornet, and ant stings, MSD Manual, Consumer Version, reviewed January 2025.
- Insect stings, MSD Manual, Professional Version, reviewed January 2025.
- Insect bites and stings, MedlinePlus, US National Library of Medicine, reviewed 14 October 2025.
- Asian hornet, National Bee Unit, Animal and Plant Health Agency (UK), accessed 15 October 2026.
- Asian hornets identified in Dover, UK Government, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, 2023.
- Hornet, The Wildlife Trusts, accessed 15 October 2026.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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