Wasps vs Bees – How to Identify Them Before Arranging Pest Control in Guston
When you can see the nest, its material and shape give strong clues about who built it, and you can learn a lot without going any closer than you should.
What a nest looks like
Sometimes the nest is visible: hanging from a rafter, wedged under a roof edge, tucked inside a bird box or showing through a gap in a wall. If you can see it from a distance, its appearance tells you a great deal. Wasps and bees build very different structures out of very different materials.
For anyone in Guston who has spotted something of this kind, here is how to read it, and how to do so safely.
Most people find the first sight of a nest a real shock, particularly if it has grown unnoticed. Take a moment before you decide anything. A nest is a structure that does not move, so there is time to look carefully from a safe distance and plan a sensible response.
The wasp nest
A wasp nest is made from a papery material, grey or buff, that wasps produce by chewing fibres. The outer shell is layered, rather like a papier-mache ball, with a single entrance near the bottom. Sizes vary from small to large, and it grows through the summer.
- Grey or beige papery layers, often with a wavy, shell-like pattern.
- A single opening, usually at the bottom or on one side.
- Insects entering and leaving quickly.
- No visible wax.
Colour can vary with the timber the wasps have chewed. Nests built from fresh wood may be pale and striped, while those from older, weathered wood may be darker and greyer. All share the same papery texture and layered look, which is what separates them from wax.
Remember that the nest's entrance is not always where you expect it. It can be at the bottom, the side or even hidden in the folds of the paper, and insects may approach from an unexpected direction. Always watch the traffic rather than assuming the opening is facing you.
The bee nest
Bees build with wax. A honeybee colony constructs sheets of wax comb, usually hidden in a cavity, so you may see only the entrance and the insects. A swarm hanging on a branch is a cluster of bees, not a nest. Bumblebees build small, untidy nests of moss, grass and fur in hollows, and the entrance is hard to spot.
- Wax, not paper, if any structure is visible.
- A cluster of fuzzy insects on a branch or surface.
- A small hole with slow, furry insects going in and out.
Do not confuse a nest with other things attached to branches and walls. Clumps of dried leaves, old birds' nests, ivy growth and galls can all look like a nest from a distance. Zoom in on a photograph to check, and look for insects coming and going as the clearest sign.
In a loft or roof space, you may see the nest only as a bulge in the ceiling or a discoloured patch. Staining on a ceiling and a faint buzzing sound are signs worth reporting, though they could have other causes. Do not open up a ceiling to find out.
Looking safely
Use binoculars or a zoomed photograph. Do not approach, tap or shine a torch at the nest. Do not use a ladder. If the nest is in a roof space, do not open the hatch to look.
Leave a live nest strictly alone, because wasps can swarm and sting if they feel threatened.
Photograph the nest with something nearby for scale, such as a gutter or a door frame, and note the time of day.
What not to assume
A nest that looks old or quiet may still be active. A small nest may be growing fast. Honeybee swarms may be temporary, and an abandoned nest may be empty or may hold a few insects that remain. Do not assume safety from the look of the nest alone.
The first wasp nests are started from late April, depending on the weather, in whatever shelter they find, from eaves, walls and chimneys to trees, bushes and holes in the ground. Each colony grows steadily until late summer and reaches its peak in August with 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps.
Describing it to us
A good description includes colour, shape, size relative to something familiar, position and height. A photograph is better still. Pollinating honeybees and bumblebees are worth protecting, so they are best left to a local beekeeper or bee organisation. The company is for wasps only, so if it sounds like bees we will say so rather than book a visit.
Think about what is around the nest as well. Wires, pipes, vents and windows close by can be affected by what happens next, and a technician needs to know about them. A photograph that shows the setting is far more useful than a close-up alone.
Booking
To speak to us directly, ring 01622 410 019 or use the form on the website if you prefer. Our price for one nest is a fixed £120 with one visit guaranteed and no call-out charge. A further nest at the same property is priced at £60 extra.
The firm handles domestic and commercial work and is open seven days a week with same-day service available. Later appointments can be arranged, and everyone who attends is fully insured and qualified.
If an allergy to wasp stings is a worry at your address, mention it at the time of booking so we can prioritise the job. Ask the technician at booking whether the empty nest can be taken down once it has been dealt with.
When you speak to us, give your best description and any measurements you can estimate, such as "about the size of a football" or "smaller than a tennis ball". It helps us to judge the likely scale of the problem.
Wasps on your property in Guston?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.