Wasps Around Your Guttering and Fascias? How to Find the Nest in Netherfield
Insects clustering at the roof edge are not always wasps, and the right response depends on which they are. Here is a calm way to tell.
Identify first, act second
Many calls start with ‘there are bees in my guttering’, and many of those turn out to be wasps. Others really are bees. The difference matters because we treat wasps only, and because the right response for a honeybee swarm or a bumblebee nest is completely different. A minute of careful looking from a distance saves everyone time.
For a home to the east of Nottingham such as those in Netherfield, the same simple checks apply as anywhere else. Do them from the ground or an indoor window, never from a ladder, and never close to the insects.
It helps to remember that nobody expects you to be a naturalist. A few observations, honestly described, are all we need to say whether the problem sounds like wasps.
Getting the identification right first also avoids paying for the wrong kind of help.
What a wasp looks like
A common wasp has a smooth, sharply banded yellow and black body, a narrow waist and very little visible fur. Its legs are slim and it moves in quick, jerky flights. It tends to have a slim, tidy shape, and looks glossy rather than furry.
- smooth, shiny body with clean black and yellow bands
- a distinct narrow waist between thorax and abdomen
- fast, direct flight in and out of a small hole
- chewed wood fibres at the entrance, as wasps make paper from wood
- a regular two-way stream of insects at one spot
Wasps are the insects that visit your fizzy drink and your picnic, and the same ones nest in roof edges.
One more feature to look for is behaviour around food. Wasps scavenge from bins, drinks cans and fallen fruit, and will come to a barbecue. Bees almost never do. If the insects at your guttering also pester your lunch, wasps are the likelier answer.
What bees look like
Honeybees are smaller and browner, with a hairy body that looks fuzzy and golden-brown, and carry yellow pollen on their back legs. Bumblebees are large, round and very furry, flying slowly with a loud hum. Neither has the glossy sharp banding of a wasp.
If you think your insects are honeybees or bumblebees, we cannot help with them, as we treat wasps. Contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation instead. Bees are valuable, and a beekeeper may be able to move honeybees rather than harm them.
A swarm hanging in a cluster on a branch or wall is almost always honeybees and is a job for a beekeeper.
Bumblebees are often mistaken for something more worrying because of their size and noise. They are usually docile, and a small nest in a bank or under a shed is best left alone if it is away from where people walk.
If the insects you see are clearly not wasps, there is no need to ring us, though we are always happy to help you work out what you have.
Where the nest tells you something
Where the insects go in also gives clues. Wasps like cavities and will use a gap behind a fascia, a soffit, a hole in a wall or a hole in the ground. Honeybees prefer larger cavities with a steady entrance, and bumblebees often nest at ground level in tussocks or old burrows.
A roof edge entrance with a steady stream of narrow-waisted, smooth insects is most likely wasps. If the insects are slow, furry and few, you are probably looking at bumblebees, which are mostly harmless unless disturbed.
Whichever you think it is, do not try to confirm by poking or banging.
Hornets, which are larger than wasps and uncommon, are not something we treat. If your description suggests hornets, we will say so honestly and suggest the right next step, which may simply be to keep clear.
If it is wasps
If your observations point to wasps, phone us and describe what you saw. The fixed price for a wasp nest is £95 and is confirmed on the phone before the visit, and there is no call-out charge. A further nest at the same property is charged at £35 extra. Same-day service is offered, and we work seven days a week.
Afterwards, returning wasps may be about for some hours and activity usually fades over a day or two. Keep children and pets clear and the nest and gap untouched. Ring 0115 937 5117 to book, or send the contact page form.
Never try to identify an insect by catching it or killing it for a closer look, as a sting is the likely reward. A clear photo taken from several metres away with a phone zoom does the job without the risk.
Many people find it helps to keep a short written description ready before phoning: colour, size, what the insects are doing and where the entrance is. It takes a minute and makes the call quicker.
If you are still not sure
Describe what you see on the phone and we will say honestly whether it sounds like wasps. Mentioning the colour, the size, the flight and the location is plenty. Giving us a clear account is far better than guessing, and there is no charge for asking.
If anyone at home is allergic to stings, treat every unidentified flying insect near the roof edge with caution, and tell us at booking. A serious reaction, such as swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash, needs 999.
Whichever it turns out to be, the advice for the meantime is the same: keep your distance and keep the family indoors.
Wasps on your property in Netherfield?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.