Wasps vs Bees – How to Identify Them Before Arranging Pest Control in Langton Green
Ripening fruit is irresistible to wasps in late summer, so gardeners with trees or allotment plots benefit from knowing which insects are on the fruit and which are on the blossom.
Fruit brings wasps
In spring, apple and pear blossom hums with bees. By late summer, the same trees can attract an entirely different crowd. Ripe, split or fallen fruit is a favourite food source for wasps, which chew into the flesh and drink the sweet juice.
If you grow fruit in Langton Green, or simply have a tree or two in the garden, this is a predictable cycle. Knowing who is visiting the tree at which time of year helps you leave the bees alone and deal sensibly with the wasps.
Allotments and community plots face the same cycle, and the number of people working close together means a single nest can affect many. A word with fellow plot holders about what you have seen helps everyone stay safe, and shared information makes it easier to decide quickly who will arrange help.
Be aware, too, that insects at windfalls can be sluggish in cool mornings, which tempts people to pick up fruit without looking. A hidden wasp in a pear or plum can sting the moment a hand closes on it. Always look first, and use a stick or gloved hand to turn damaged fruit over.
Blossom time and picking time
The difference between spring and late summer visitors is a good place to start.
- In blossom time, insects on the flowers are almost always bees, doing the vital work of pollinating your crop. Please leave them alone.
- In picking time, insects crowding over damaged or fallen fruit are far more likely to be wasps.
- At any time, a stream of insects heading for one gap or hole is worth investigating, whatever they look like.
Trees with a thick canopy, hedges full of foliage and old fruit stores are all places where a nest can hide. Look for a steady flow of insects that is not tied to the fruit itself, as that is a better indication of a nest than a few insects feeding on one plum.
Cider apples, plums and pears are especially tempting once the skins split. Heavy rain followed by sun produces a flush of split fruit, and the number of wasps can seem to double overnight. If this happens, pick up what has fallen at the coolest time of day, ideally in the early morning, wearing sensible shoes and gloves.
Telling them apart on the branch
At the tree, wasps look smooth, narrow-waisted and crisply striped, and they tend to dart from fruit to fruit. Bees look rounder and furry, and in autumn there are fewer of them on the fruit. A cluster of insects feasting on a split plum is almost certainly a group of wasps.
Take care when picking. A wasp hidden inside a fruit can sting a hand reaching in, so check the fruit before you pick it and wear gloves if you are going to handle damaged windfalls.
Be careful with drinks and snacks during harvest. A can left open on a ladder step or a sandwich eaten between rows is an invitation to wasps. Keep food and drink covered and finish eating before you return to the trees.
If you want to know whether visiting wasps come from a nest on your land or from further afield, watch the flight direction for a few minutes. Insects that arrive from and return to the same direction suggest a nest in that direction, which is useful to mention when you call.
Keeping the harvest tidy
A tidy orchard attracts fewer wasps. Here are some habits that help.
- Collect windfalls promptly and keep them in a covered container.
- Remove split or rotting fruit from the tree and the ground.
- Keep compost heaps covered, especially if they receive fruit waste.
- Keep sweet drinks and sticky preserves covered at outdoor tables.
- Avoid leaving open jars or bottles in the garden.
These steps will not remove a nest, but they reduce visits.
Where the nest might be.
Wasp nests begin in late April, depending on the weather, in sheltered spots like gaps in eaves and walls, chimneys, trees, bushes or the ground itself. The nest gets busier week by week before peaking in August at anything from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps.
Give a nest a very wide berth, as the wasps can swarm and sting when they feel under threat. If you see insects regularly flying from your fruit trees to a particular spot, note where they go, but do not follow them closely.
What about the bees.
Bumblebees and honeybees are useful pollinators, so please ask a local beekeeper or bee organisation for advice instead of us. Our work concentrates on wasps alone, and we will be upfront if bees seem more likely.
If you sell or share your fruit, think about how and where it is displayed. A trestle table in the open with cut or damaged fruit will draw wasps and worry customers. A little cover and prompt tidying of damaged produce keeps visitors comfortable.
Arranging a visit
If you think wasps have nested near your plot, contact us.
To get a visit organised, dial 01622 410 019 or use the online form if you would rather write it down. The cost of dealing with a nest stays at £120 wherever the property is, with no call-out charge and one visit guaranteed. Each extra nest at the same address is just £60 extra.
The company offers same-day service for domestic and commercial customers, seven days a week. Weekend and evening visits are part of the service, and each technician is fully insured and qualified.
When there is a sting allergy in the family, it is worth telling us when you book so the job can be prioritised.
Finally, do not use harvest as a reason to delay. If the insects at the tree are heading for a nest, picking sooner or later makes no difference to the nest, which will keep growing until it is dealt with.
Any plot holders, neighbours or visitors nearby should be told when the visit is booked, so nobody walks into the area while the technician is working. A short note on the gate or a quick message to the other plot holders is plenty.
Wasps on your property in Langton Green?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.