Wasps Around Your Guttering and Fascias? How to Find the Nest in Heck

Before booking, it helps to be sure what is nesting in your roof edge. Wasps and bees need very different handling, and a careful look from the ground usually tells you which you have.

Not every insect at the roofline is a wasp

When something is buzzing in and out of a gap near your gutter, it is natural to call it a wasp. But a number of insects use roof edges, and the right response depends on which one you have. Calling the wrong kind of specialist wastes time and, in the case of bees, could mean harm to a creature that deserves protection.

The Wasp Exterminator treats wasp nests, and only wasps. If what you have turns out to be honeybees or bumblebees, the right step is to contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation instead. This guide helps you decide, from a safe distance, which way to go.

Anyone living in Heck or the surrounding villages can use the same simple checks.

It is common for people to mix the two up, and that is perfectly reasonable. At a distance, an insect in flight is little more than a dark shape with a buzz. What follows is simply a way of narrowing it down, not a test you have to pass.

Signs that point to wasps

Wasps tend to look slimmer and smoother than bees. They have a narrow waist between the body and the back end, bright, clearly defined black and yellow bands, and a shiny rather than furry look. They move quickly and in straight lines.

Other pointers include:

• Wasps coming and going through a narrow crack or hole in the board, with little sign of anything carried on their legs.
• Light brown or grey paper-like material visible at the opening.
• Wasps being drawn to sweet drinks, bins and meat at barbecues, and also hovering over the garden table in late summer.
• Increasing numbers through July and into August, as the colony reaches its peak.

Nests behind a fascia are not usually visible, so you are judging mostly by the insects themselves.

Behaviour is a better guide than colour. Wasps are often seen at a distance from flowers, chewing at fence panels, garden furniture or the edge of a board, then flying straight back to the same spot. That chewing is how they gather material to build, and it points to a nest in the neighbourhood.

Signs that point to bees

Bees are rounder and more furry. Honeybees are a golden-brown, and bumblebees are large, fat and fuzzy, often with bands of yellow or white. Bees are usually seen working flowers, carrying pollen on their back legs, and moving with a slower, bumbling flight.

If the insects at the roof edge look like this, do not treat them as a wasp problem. Contact a local beekeeper or your local bee organisation for advice, without trying to block or disturb the opening. They can tell you whether the bees can be relocated or left alone.

If you are unsure, take a short video from a distance and a clear photo if you can get one safely. Describing what you see on the phone is welcome, and if the technician thinks the insects are not wasps they will say so rather than book a visit that will not help.

Bumblebees sometimes nest in cavities too, and a small number of bees in and out of a roof gap is quite different in feel from a stream of wasps. If the numbers are small and the insects are slow and furry, think bees first.

Hornets are larger than wasps and need to be dealt with by another specialist. If you think you might have them, say so, and we will point you elsewhere rather than book you in.

What we do not treat

We treat wasps. We do not treat bees, hornets or other pests, and it is better to be told that straight away than to find out on the day. If there is a mixture of insects around your roof edge, or you are not certain of what they are, say so when you ring. The technician will ask a few questions and help you decide.

Whatever the insects turn out to be, the safety advice is the same. Keep away from the opening. Do not block it, spray into it or knock the board. Keep children and pets indoors or well back, and avoid ladders altogether, since a fall is a bigger risk than a sting.

If anyone is stung, wash the spot, remove the sting if visible and apply a cold pack. Swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, dizziness or a widespread rash calls for 999. People who know they are allergic should speak to their GP.

Being clear at the outset saves you a wasted afternoon. The time to find out is during the booking call, not once someone is on the doorstep.

Photos taken at a distance can be zoomed in on afterwards, so a steady phone held at arm's length is better than approaching.

If it is a wasp nest

Then you have a simple route. The Wasp Exterminator treats a wasp nest for a fixed price of £70 per nest, and an additional nest on the same property costs £25 on top. There is no call-out charge, we are open seven days a week, same-day service is available, and technicians are fully insured and qualified. We cover homes and businesses.

The number to ring is 07798 792 774, and the booking form and contact page work just as well. The price is confirmed on the phone before the visit, and nothing is done until you agree. If special access equipment is needed to reach the nest, the price may be higher, and you will be told first.

Once the nest has been treated, ask whether the empty nest can be taken down, and arrange for the gap to be repaired.

Booking is quick, and most people find the call takes just a few minutes. Having a rough idea of the location and the look of the insects is all you need.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Heck