How to Tell If You Have a Wasp Nest at Your Home

One wasp or many?

A lone wasp drifting around the garden in summer is normal. They are looking for food and water, and most will move on. What matters is repetition. If you see wasps flying in a straight line to the same place, again and again, through the day, they are almost certainly travelling to a nest. Watch from a good distance, and for only a few minutes. You do not need to get close to learn what you need to know.

Where nests are often found

Wasps like sheltered spots that are dry and undisturbed. In Essex homes that usually means lofts and roof spaces, under eaves, inside wall cavities, in sheds and garages, and in old air bricks. Some build in the ground, using a disused burrow, or in thick hedges and trees. Older houses with small gaps in the fascias and soffits give easy access, but modern estates have nests too.

• Roof spaces, soffits and eaves, especially where there is a small gap.
• Sheds, garages and outbuildings that are rarely opened.
• Holes in lawns, banks and the bases of hedges.
• Air bricks and gaps in brickwork or render.

Signs to look and listen for

The strongest sign is a flight path, with wasps entering and leaving a single gap. Inside a loft or wall you may hear a steady, dry scratching or rustling, which is the sound of workers chewing wood to make paper. You might also notice a brown or grey stain spreading on a ceiling. A visible nest is rounded and layered, a bit like grey paper, and it may be anywhere from golf ball size to much larger as summer goes on.

Is it wasps, bees or hornets?

Not every stinging insect is a wasp. Bees are rounder and furrier, and honeybees are an important species that should not be harmed. Bumblebees often nest in the ground or in old holes and are usually gentle. Wasps are smooth and slim with bold black and yellow bands, and hornets are larger with a more orange tone. If you are not sure what you have, send us a photograph taken from a safe distance, because the right response is different for each.

What you can safely do

Keep children and pets away from the area and keep windows near it closed. Avoid walking close to the entrance, and do not stand and watch for long. Cover bins and clear sweet food and drinks outside so wasps are less drawn to your garden. Make a note of where the flight path is, and when it is busiest, so you can tell us. That is all you need to do. The rest is safest left to a trained professional.

What not to do

Do not poke, spray, flood, block or try to burn a nest. Disturbed wasps defend the colony aggressively, and a nest in a wall or loft can send them into the living space if the entrance is blocked. Do not use a ladder near a nest. Anyone with a known allergy to stings should stay indoors and call for help straight away. If someone is stung and feels unwell, short of breath or has swelling of the face or throat, call emergency services.

When to call us

Call as soon as you are fairly sure there is a nest, especially if it is near a door, a window, a play area or a place where people walk. We will confirm what it is, tell you what we found and treat it safely. Early calls are easier, because a young nest is smaller and the problem is more contained. If you are in any doubt, a quick message with a photograph is a good place to start.