The first four months of the year have experienced the lowest level of bee and wasp stings in recent years, according to experts.

Insect sting monitoring website WaspWatch has monitored the nation's sting activity over the last six years and believes that the decline in sting activity is likely to be due to falling numbers of wasps and bees.

David Glaser, chief of WaspWatch, commented: 'The early months of our calendar year are usually dominated by bee stings rather than wasp stings and this year has undoubtedly seen a real drop in activity compared to previous years.

'Whilst there has been some unfriendly weather this year, it has been no worse than in previous years,' he noted.

The majority of people experience redness and minor swelling when stung by an insect; however, some may experience a severe allergic reaction characterised by swelling or itching elsewhere on the body, wheezing, headache or nausea, a rapid heart rate, difficulty swallowing, or a swollen face or mouth.

Patients experiencing any of these symptoms are advised to seek emergency medical treatment.