Wasps vs Bees – How to Identify Them Before Arranging Pest Control in Wollaton
A hole in the lawn with insects coming and going may be wasps or bumblebees, and the right response is very different for each.
A hole in the lawn
You are mowing, or weeding a border, and notice a hole in the soil with insects moving in and out. It could be a wasp nest. It could just as easily be bumblebees. Both use old burrows and hollows, and both can look alarming at first glance.
The distinction is important. Bumblebees are valuable pollinators and, in most cases, can be left alone and avoided. Wasps nesting near a path, a play area or a doorway are more of a problem.
Remember also that the insects you see leaving a hole are only the ones that are out foraging. The rest are inside, where you cannot see them. A hole that seems quiet at midday may become busier at a different time, so watch more than once before deciding.
Warm, calm weather is the best time for observation, because insects are most active then and easiest to compare.
Look at the insects, not the hole
The entrance tells you little by itself. What matters is the insects.
- Wasps are slim, glossy and pinched at the waist, with bright yellow and black markings.
- Bumblebees are large, round and furry, with soft bands and a pale or buff tail.
- Wasps move fast and in a straight line. Bumblebees are slower, heavy and often wobble in flight.
- Wasp traffic tends to be busy and steady, particularly in summer. Bumblebee traffic is often modest.
Watch from a few metres away. If you have to lean over the hole to see, you are too close.
Sizes of colony
Bumblebee colonies are small, usually a few dozen to a few hundred insects at their largest. Wasp colonies grow far bigger. From a queen starting alone in late April, depending on weather, a nest can reach thousands of wasps by August. A sparse trickle of large furry bees is typically bumblebees; a growing stream of slim wasps is typically a wasp nest.
Bumblebee nests also have a shorter life, and most colonies finish by late summer. Wasp nests are most active at that same stage, which is why concern about wasps rises in August.
Take the time to look at the surrounding soil as well. A wasp burrow is often an old rodent tunnel or similar hollow, so the entrance can be irregular and partly hidden by grass or a stone.
Because the sting risk differs, think about who uses the area. A lawn used for children’s play, a path to the back door or a spot where a dog digs and sniffs is a worse place for any nest than a quiet corner by the fence. For wasps, location matters even more, since the colony grows larger.
If you have bumblebees in a quiet corner, you may be able to leave them alone and simply avoid the area until the colony finishes. If they are in a high-use spot, a local beekeeper or bee organisation can advise on options. We do not move or treat bees.
If you have wasps, do not wait. A ground nest will keep growing through the summer, and the chance of someone stepping on or mowing over the entrance increases as time goes on.
Tell us when you book if anyone in the household is allergic to wasp stings, so that we can take it into account.
Staying safe around a ground nest
Whatever lives in the hole, do not block it, pour anything into it, or disturb the ground nearby. A disturbed wasp nest can lead to swarming, and bumblebees will defend their home if pressed.
- Keep children and pets away from the spot.
- Do not mow or strim close to the entrance.
- Mark the area from a distance if people use the lawn.
- If stung, wash the area, remove the sting if visible and apply a cold pack.
Call 999 if someone has swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash.
When a hole in the ground is neither
Not every hole with an insect in it is a nest. Several other creatures use burrows, and some harmless insects also fly in and out of holes.
- Solitary bees nest in small tunnels in bare soil or sand, with no colony and very little aggression. They tend to appear as a scatter of tiny holes, each with its own owner.
- Ants build small mounds with a crowd of tiny crawling insects rather than flying ones.
- Mining bees can form small mounds in lawns in spring, again with many small entrances.
- A single large hole with a steady stream of flying insects is more suggestive of a wasp or bumblebee nest.
If you are unsure, watch from a distance for several minutes. A flight line of slim, glossy insects is a different pattern from a handful of busy little bees digging in sandy soil.
For bees of any type, the right contact is a local beekeeper or bee organisation, who can advise you on leaving them or protecting them.
Who to call
If you are confident the insects are bumblebees, contact a local beekeeper or relevant bee organisation for advice and leave them be where you can. We do not treat bees or hornets.
If they look like wasps, we can help. Treatment is a fixed £95 for the nest, with £35 for each additional nest on the same property. We confirm the price by phone before the visit, there is no call-out charge, and nothing is done without your agreement. We work seven days a week with same-day service, for homes and businesses around Wollaton. Our technician is trained and fully insured. Ring 0115 937 5117 or use the booking form on the contact page.
Wasps on your property in Wollaton?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.