Wasps, Bees or Hornets? Identification Advice for Great Shelford Property Owners

Larger family houses with gardens, sheds and play areas, like many in Great Shelford, are where an unwelcome nest turns into a real worry. Before anything else, it helps to know what you are dealing with and how stinging works for each type.

How the stings differ

• Wasps have a smooth sting and can sting repeatedly.
• Honey bees have a barbed sting and generally die after using it.
• Bumblebees rarely sting unless handled or the nest is disturbed.
• Hornets can sting repeatedly and the sting is painful, though they are not generally more aggressive than wasps.

Identifying them from the lawn

Wasps are smooth and sharply black and yellow. Honey bees are brownish and slightly fuzzy. Bumblebees are big, round and furry. Hornets are larger, with brown and amber colouring. Look at the body first, and the flight second.

Wasps that hang around the barbecue, the open drinks and the fallen fruit in late summer are the most likely culprits, because their workers turn to sugar from August. Bees ignore the sausages.

Finding the source

Watch the garden from a window or from well back. A steady two-way line to a single hole in a shed, soffit, air brick or compost heap means a nest. Keep children and pets clear of that area. Do not mow or strim close to a suspected ground nest.

What not to do

Do not block the entrance, and do not stand underneath it for a look. Treating from a ladder with a spray can leave you holding both the ladder and an angry colony.

Practical steps for a Great Shelford garden

Larger Great Shelford plots often have a shed, a greenhouse, an orchard tree or a compost bin, all of which attract insects. Before the family uses the garden, walk the edges and look from a distance for a steady line of insects. Keep drinks covered, clear fallen fruit and close bin lids in late summer. If someone in the household is known to be allergic to stings, carry any prescribed medicine outside and do not wait to see whether the nest goes away by itself.

Next step

We deal with wasp nests in Great Shelford for £90 fixed, with no call-out fee. The Great Shelford wasp nest page and the cost guide set out what is included, and a pest inspection and survey at £120 will identify the species if you cannot.

Call 01223 902388 or message us on WhatsApp, and tell us where the family uses the garden.