- Size
- Workers 12–17 mm
- Look
- Bright yellow and black, smooth, narrow waist
- Nest
- Grey papery ball
- Peak season
- July to September
That cycle matters for what you do. A nest out of the way in September may simply be left to die off. A nest by the back door in June is a different story.
Signs of wasps
- A steady stream of wasps flying in and out of one spot: eaves, an air brick, a hole in the ground, a shed
- A faint papery crackling or humming from a wall, loft or ceiling
- A grey, papery, round nest in a loft, shed or bush
- Lots of wasps appearing indoors at one window, which can mean a nest in the wall or loft
How to be sure
Wasps are smooth, shiny and bright yellow and black, with a clear waist. Bees are furrier and rounder. Hoverflies look similar but hover in place and can't sting. If it's large, brownish, or very dark with yellow legs, see our hornets guide.
What you can do yourself
- Watch from a safe distance to find the exact entry point. Treatment only works at the entrance.
- If the nest is out of the way and it's late summer or autumn, consider leaving it. The colony will die off with the first frosts.
- For a small, accessible nest, a wasp nest powder puffed into the entrance at dusk can work. Wear long sleeves and gloves and walk away straight afterwards.
- Never block the entrance. Wasps will chew another way out, sometimes into the house.
- Never knock a nest down, burn it or flood it.
- For nuisance wasps around food in late summer, keep food and drinks covered and bins closed.
Call a professional if
- The nest is inside the loft, a wall cavity or near the loft hatch
- It's near a door, a play area or somewhere people pass every day
- Anyone in the household has a known allergy to stings
- It's at a height that needs a ladder
- You're not sure whether it's wasps, bees or hornets
Safety: If someone is stung and has swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing or feels faint, call 999. This can be anaphylaxis.
Keeping them out
- Check sheds, lofts and eaves in late spring when nests are small
- Fill gaps in eaves and air bricks over winter, when nests are empty
- Keep bins closed and windfall fruit cleared in late summer
Kit that helps
- Wasp nest powder (for small, accessible nests only)
- Long gloves
- Bin with a tight lid
Product types only. We'll only ever point you to things we'd use ourselves.
Questions people ask
Will a wasp nest be used again next year?
No. Wasps don't reuse old nests. A new queen may build nearby, though, so it's worth sealing gaps over winter.
What time of day should a wasp nest be treated?
At dusk, when most workers are back inside and less active.
Are wasps useful?
Yes. They pollinate plants and hunt huge numbers of caterpillars and aphids. If a nest isn't in the way, leaving it is a reasonable choice.
Why are there so many wasps in late summer?
The colony stops raising young, so workers go looking for sugar instead. That's when they turn up at picnics and bins.