Wasp and Hornet Nests: When To Leave Them Alone

Timing changes the risk entirely

A nest in June holds a small colony and a queen still building. The same nest in September holds thousands of insects whose food supply is collapsing, which makes them substantially more defensive and far more likely to sting with little provocation. A decision to leave it alone needs revisiting every few weeks.

Identify the insect first

Honey bees are furry, golden brown and largely uninterested in you. Wasps and hornets are smooth, brighter and more sharply marked. Yellow jackets often nest in the ground or a wall cavity rather than out in the open, so the tell is a steady stream in and out of one hole in the lawn or the siding. It matters, because honey bees should be relocated live.

How removals go wrong

Spraying at midday, when most of the colony is out foraging and will return to find you standing at the nest. Knocking one down with a broom. Blocking the entry hole of a wall nest, which drives the colony inward and sometimes into the room. Using fire, which is how people lose sheds. Working from a ladder while insects are actively defending, which is where the serious injuries come from.

When it is genuinely urgent

A nest over a doorway, near a playset, by a bin or beside anywhere people sit. Anyone in the household with a known sting allergy. A nest inside a wall cavity with an occupied room on the other side. In those situations do not wait for a free weekend.

Getting it handled

Stinging insect calls are prioritised, including evenings and weekends, and most removals take well under an hour. Call (877) 875-5384 and describe where the nest is and what the insects look like.

Call (877) 875-5384