Chris Mattison / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) feeding on bread and jam. Monmouthshire, Wales, UK. March.

Colin Varndell / Hornet (Vespa crabro) drinking at bird bath. Dorset, UK, July.

Philippe Clement / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) feeding on jam inside a jar, Belgium, August.

Philippe Clement / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) feeding on jam inside a jar, Belgium, August.

Dave Bevan / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) adding material to nest, Carmarthenshire, Wales, UK, July.

Robert Thompson / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) flying to fuchsia flower, Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland.

Dietmar Nill / European hornet (Vespa crabro) fanning nest with wings to regulate the temperature, Germany, September.

Ingo Arndt / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) detail of nest surface, Hessen, Germany, April.

John Abbott / Paper wasp (Polistes metricus) flying from flower, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, USA Controlled conditions. September

MYN / Marc Pihet / Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris), Maine-et-Loire, France, November. meetyourneighbours.net project

Andy Sands / German wasp (Vespula germanica) worker carrying rubbish, flying out of nest in air brick, Hertfordshire, England, UK. July

Kim Taylor / European hornet (Vespa crabro) worker in flight, Surrey, England, August.