Can You Remove a Wasp Nest Yourself? Advice for Harvel Homeowners
A nest that looks like a wasp nest may be nothing of the kind, and mistaken identity can send a householder after the wrong insect with the wrong plan.
Start with the insect
Before anyone decides whether to remove a nest themselves, it helps to be sure what lives in it. Wasps, honeybees and bumblebees can look alike from a distance, and a worried householder may not stop to check. This matters because the right response differs: wasp nests are treated by Wasp Exterminator Kent, but bees are a different matter and call for different people.
This business treats wasps. If you think the insects may be honeybees or bumblebees, contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation instead. Bees are valuable pollinators, and a swarm or nest of bees should not be destroyed by guesswork.
Harvel readers who are unsure should take a calm, careful look from a distance, preferably through a window, and note what they see. It does not need to be technical. A few simple observations will help you decide who to call.
There is another reason to be sure: timing. Wasp colonies are at their busiest in late summer, while bees follow a different pattern, so the same insect sighting in July and in September may call for different actions. If you are unsure, an early phone call is better than a late one.
Clues to look for
Take your time and look from as far back as you can still see.
- Wasps tend to look smooth and sleek, with a narrow waist and bold yellow and black bands. Bees tend to look rounder and furrier, with a more golden or brown look.
- Wasps fly quickly and directly in and out of a small entrance. Bees may hover or move more slowly, often around flowers.
- A papery, grey nest, sometimes visible, is typical of wasps. A waxy comb is a sign of bees.
- Wasps are drawn to your food and drink in late summer. Bees mostly go to flowers.
- A cloud of insects hanging from a branch in a hanging clump may be a bee swarm, not a wasp nest.
None of these is perfect, and you should not go closer to check. If you cannot tell, say so when you ring.
Distance is your friend here. A modern phone camera can zoom enough to show the shape of the insect and its entrance. Take the picture from a window, not from the lawn, and send or describe it when you call.
A cloud of flying insects is not always a nest either. Wasps hanging around a bin, a fallen fruit tree or a sweet spill may be feeding rather than nesting, and the nest could be some way off. Watching the direction they leave in tells you more than the numbers at the food.
Why guessing is risky
If you think it is a wasp nest and it turns out to be bees, you may harm a colony that a beekeeper would gladly have taken away. If you think it is bees and it turns out to be wasps, you may wait while the nest grows. Nests begin to be built from late April, depending on the weather, and the colony peaks in August with anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps.
Neither insect should be sprayed, burned or poked, and in both cases you should keep away from the nest. Wasps can swarm and sting if threatened, and a bee colony will also defend itself.
So the first DIY job is to resist doing anything at all until the identity is clear. A photo from a distance, sent to a beekeeper or to the booking team, can often settle it.
Please do not try to catch or kill an insect to identify it. Swatting or trapping insects near a nest only adds to the commotion, and a bee that is killed has done you no harm.
What you can safely do
Whatever the insect, the safe actions are the same.
- Stay clear of the nest and keep others away, including children and pets.
- Watch from a distance and note where the insects go in and out.
- Close windows nearby, and keep food and drink covered.
- Take a photo with zoom, without moving closer.
If you are stung, wash the area, remove a visible sting and use a cold pack. Seek emergency help on 999 if there is wheezing or difficulty breathing, a widespread rash, swelling of the face, lips or throat or dizziness. People with a known allergy should speak to their GP, and should tell the booking team about it for wasps.
If you do decide it is wasps, you can watch for a day or two while you book, but keep the same distance. Treat the nest as live and dangerous until it has been dealt with.
If it is wasps
When the insects are wasps, the next step is to book a technician. The fixed price from Wasp Exterminator Kent is £120 per nest, and one visit is guaranteed. An additional nest on the same property is £60 per extra nest. No call-out charge is made, and the price is the same wherever the nest is and whatever the time of day. Technicians are fully insured and qualified.
Home and business customers are both covered, seven days a week. Same-day service is offered, with evening and weekend appointments. Call 01622 410 019, or use the online form on the contact page, which also serves as the route for emergency service out of hours.
Describe what you have seen and how you reached your conclusion, and ask whether the empty nest can be taken down afterwards. If the team thinks it may be bees, they will say so.
If the technician arrives and decides the insects are not wasps, they will tell you honestly. That is a better outcome than a mistaken treatment, and you will know who to contact next.
Wasps on your property in Harvel?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.