Wasps vs Bees – How to Identify Them Before Arranging Pest Control in Mapperley
What you can see of the nest, and where it sits, can tell you which insect built it long before you spot a single wasp or bee up close.
The nest as evidence
Often the first thing a householder sees is not the insect but the entrance: a hole under the eaves, a gap in a wall, a patch of soil with traffic in and out. The nest itself is out of sight. Even so, there are clues about what lives inside, and they are worth noting.
If you live in Mapperley or anywhere else, the same signs apply. The aim is not to inspect the nest, which you should never do, but to read what you can from a safe distance.
It is also useful to know that wasp nests are annual. A queen starts the nest in spring, the colony grows through summer, and in autumn the nest is abandoned. The same site is rarely reused, although a nearby gap might be. Honeybee colonies, by contrast, can occupy the same cavity for years, so a site that has seen bees before is more likely to see them again.
That is one more reason to be cautious about assuming. If a spot has hosted bees in the past, check carefully what is there now.
What wasps build
Wasps make their nests from chewed wood fibre, which they mix into a paste and shape into a papery material. The finished nest looks like grey or buff paper, often in layers, and is usually enclosed so that you only see the outer surface and one entrance hole near the bottom.
- Common sites include roof spaces, eaves, wall cavities, chimneys, sheds, hedges, trees and holes in the ground.
- A nest starts small, with a queen building from late April depending on the spring.
- By August a nest can hold thousands of wasps.
- Entrances show a busy, steady flow of slim, glossy insects.
If you see chewed grey fibre or papery fragments near a gap, that points towards wasps.
What bees build
Honeybees make wax comb. The cells are tidy and hexagonal, and the colony lives inside a cavity such as a hollow tree, a chimney or a wall void, or in a managed hive. Bumblebees make much smaller colonies, often in old burrows, grass tussocks, compost heaps or empty bird boxes, with a rounded collection of wax cells and no papery shell.
Bumblebee colonies are modest in size, and you may only see a few large, furry bees going in and out of a hole. Honeybees can be more numerous and show a regular line of golden-brown workers coming and going.
Size and shape of the entrance can add to the picture. A wasp nest in a cavity often shows a small, round or irregular hole with little around it. A honeybee colony tends to show a wider slit or crack with a line of workers fanning at the edge, and sometimes a faint smell of wax or honey on warm days. Bumblebees usually have a small hole at ground level, often hidden in grass or leaf litter.
As ever, resist the urge to peer in. A torch pointed into a wasp nest entrance is a good way to get stung. What you can see from a few metres away is enough to share on the phone.
If a nest is in a loft or wall, the first sign is often a stain on the ceiling or the sound of scratching and buzzing. These are good reasons to ring as soon as you notice them.
Location can mislead
The same spaces can attract more than one species. A wall cavity might hold wasps in one year and honeybees in another, and a ground hole could hold either wasps or bumblebees. That is why location alone is not enough.
- Look at the insects entering the hole, not only at the hole.
- Notice whether they are slim and glossy or round and furry.
- See whether they carry yellow pollen on their legs, which suggests bees.
- Record the time of day and the weather when activity is greatest.
What to note without going near it
There is a lot you can observe safely from a distance, and it is worth jotting down before you phone.
- The position of the entrance relative to a landmark you can describe, such as a downpipe, window or fence post.
- Whether the nest seems to be in a roof space, a wall, a hedge, a tree or the ground.
- The size of the entrance, and whether it is a gap, a round hole or a crack.
- The number of insects coming and going in a minute, as a rough idea.
- Any papery material or debris you can see from a distance.
Remember that you should never block or cover an entrance, or try to look inside. A trapped colony will find another way out, which might be through a ceiling or wall into your living space.
If the nest is in a shared wall or boundary, let your neighbours know, since the wasps may be using both sides.
Choosing the right call
If you think the insects are honeybees or bumblebees, please do not block the hole and do not try to move them. Contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation. We only treat wasps, not bees or hornets.
If it looks like a wasp nest, the fee is a fixed £95 a nest, with £35 for another nest on the same property, confirmed on the phone before anyone visits and with no call-out charge. We work seven days a week, offer same-day service and cover domestic and commercial customers. The technician is trained and fully insured. Ring 0115 937 5117 or use the contact page booking form, and mention any sting allergy.
Wasps on your property in Mapperley?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.