Wasps vs Bees – How to Identify Them Before Arranging Pest Control in Barrow Hill

If you have never had to deal with a wasp or bee problem before, this plain checklist walks you through what to look at and what to say.

Start here if this is new to you

Most people only meet a stinging insect problem once in a while, and it is natural to feel unsure what to do. Which insects are they? Is it dangerous? Who do you call? The answers are simpler than you might think.

This checklist takes you through the steps, in order, with no jargon. You do not need special knowledge or equipment. You do need to stay at a safe distance.

Read it through once, then work through it on a warm day.

Nobody is born knowing how to deal with a wasp nest, and nobody should feel embarrassed about asking. The people who answer the phone have heard every kind of question before, and they would rather you asked than took a risk.

Throughout this checklist you will see the same simple advice: stay back, stay calm and describe what you see. Everything else follows from that.

Step one: look from a distance

Find a safe spot indoors or well away from the insects. Watch for a few minutes. Note whether they are slim and smooth with a narrow waist, or round and furry. Slim and shiny means wasps. Round and furry means bees.

Note what they do. Insects going to flowers are feeding. Insects circling your food and drinks are probably wasps. Insects going in and out of one hole in a steady line are nesting.

Take a photograph if you can do so safely, using the zoom.

If you cannot see the insects clearly, that is fine. Say what you did see, such as small and yellow, fast and buzzy, or big and furry. Descriptions like these are more useful than they sound, and they usually point to the right answer.

Do not worry about getting the species exactly right. Wasps, honeybees and bumblebees are the three groups that matter, and the main differences are easy to see once you know them.

Step two: find the entrance

Look for the place where the insects go in and out. It might be a gap under the roof edge, a crack in a wall, a hole in the ground, a hedge, a shed or a loft. Note roughly how high it is, and which side of the building.

Count the insects entering in two minutes. A steady stream is more likely a nest than the occasional visitor.

Keep your distance. Do not block the hole, spray it or tap near it.

Write down the date you first noticed activity, and roughly how many insects you see in a couple of minutes. These two numbers tell the booking team a surprising amount about the size and age of the nest.

Step three: keep people safe

Keep children and pets away from the area. Close doors and windows nearby. Cover food and drink outdoors. If anyone is allergic to stings, tell them to stay inside.

A wasp nest can hold from 2,000 to 10,000 wasps or more at its peak in August, and the colony can swarm and sting if it is threatened. That is why distance and patience matter so much.

Basic first aid is to wash the sting, remove it if it is visible and use a cold pack; any sign of a serious allergic reaction, such as a swollen throat, wheeze, dizziness or a body-wide rash, is a 999 emergency.

Tell everyone in the household what you have found, including visitors and anyone who looks after the children. A nest is easy to forget about on a busy day, and it only takes one person walking close to the entrance to cause trouble.

Step four: decide who to call

If you have wasps and a nest, a wasp nest treatment service is the answer. If you have honeybees or bumblebees, contact a local beekeeper or bee organisation, because they are valuable pollinators and we do not treat them.

If you are not sure, describe what you saw and ask for advice. There is no shame in being uncertain. The booking team will help you work it out.

Have your notes and photograph ready.

If you are still unsure at this point, ring and say so. You do not have to be certain before you book. The aim of the checklist is only to help you give a clear description.

If you find that you are not sure whether the insects are wasps, ask yourself whether they are interested in your food and drink. If the answer is yes, and they are slim, shiny and quick, treat them as wasps until shown otherwise.

Step five: book

To arrange treatment, Booking starts with a call to 01245 327274 or request a visit through the contact page form. Each nest is treated for £90 and the visit is guaranteed as one visit; if there is another nest on the same property it is £35 per nest.

The service is available seven days a week; domestic and commercial customers are welcome, same-day service is offered and the team is fully insured. Those with a diagnosed sting allergy should take advice from their GP; please say if anyone is allergic when booking, as that allows the visit to be prioritised.

On the day, keep everyone indoors or well away, make sure the technician can get to the nest and let them get on with the job. You can ask whether the empty nest can be taken down afterwards.

Afterwards, keep a note of where the nest was. Wasps do not reuse a nest, but they may choose a similar spot the following year, and a quick look at the same place in late April or May is a good habit.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Barrow Hill