Wasps vs Bees – How to Identify Them Before Arranging Pest Control in Nottingham
In spring a single large insect can be a wasp queen, a bumblebee queen or a honeybee. Here is how to tell early visitors apart and what, if anything, to do.
The big insect in April
The first sign of the wasp season is not a nest. It is a single large insect investigating a shed, a porch, a loft hatch or a bush, in the weeks from late April depending on how mild the spring has been. People often assume it is the start of an infestation.
In most cases it is a queen looking for a site, and she may be a wasp queen or a bumblebee queen. Both emerge in spring, both are larger than the workers that follow, and both can look alarming when one is buzzing against a window. The more you know about the difference, the less likely you are to panic or to pursue the wrong solution.
It is easy to forget that most insects in early spring are on a mission of their own. They have just woken from winter, they are hungry and they are searching for a base, which is why they appear in odd places such as bedrooms and kitchens.
A wasp queen up close
A wasp queen is bigger than a worker but still slim, with a narrow waist and a glossy, bright yellow and black abdomen. She moves with purpose, investigating cracks, crevices and wood surfaces. Her flight is smooth and direct.
She starts the nest alone. She chews wood fibre to make the first small paper cells, lays eggs, and feeds the first grubs until workers hatch and take over the building and foraging. That early nest is small, often tucked in a loft, an old burrow, a garage or a thick bush.
Spotting a queen does not mean a nest will definitely form in your home, but it is worth noting where she lands and whether she stays.
Colour can help here as well. Her yellow is a clear lemon and her black is a rich, clean black, with no soft fur edging to the stripes. The sheen on her body is the giveaway when sunlight hits it.
A bumblebee queen up close
A bumblebee queen is plainly chunkier. She is round, thickly furred, and strikingly large in the air, with a deep buzz. Her colour depends on the species, and may include bands of yellow, buff or white and a pale tail. She is often seen low over the ground, zigzagging as she inspects holes and tussocks.
A bumblebee queen is not an aggressor. She is looking for a hole or a cavity to nest in, such as an old mouse burrow, and she will usually leave you alone. If she settles in your garden, the colony stays small and will end by itself in the autumn.
If you are not sure which queen you have seen, note the fur and the waist. Furry and round is a bee, and sleek and narrow is a wasp.
A honeybee can also be about in spring, working early blossom. She is smaller than a bumblebee, golden-brown, and always at flowers, so she is easy to separate from a queen on the hunt for a nest.
Both kinds of queen will fly off if left in peace, usually within a few hours, so a calm response is nearly always enough.
What to do about an early visitor
If you meet one indoors, open a window and give her a path to leave. Do not swat, because a startled insect will defend itself. Switch off lights near the window to encourage her out.
If she returns to the same spot repeatedly, such as a gap above a door or a loft vent, make a note of it. Watching for a week or two will show whether she has chosen a site, because a queen who has settled will make short trips and come back.
Do not block the gap in a rush. If a nest is already started, sealing the entrance can push the insects further into the building.
If you keep stored items in a shed or a loft, move them away from eaves rather than leaving boxes pushed against a gap. It does not stop a queen looking, but it avoids a nest being hidden behind clutter where nobody sees it develop.
Wasps through the season
Colonies grow quickly once workers appear. By midsummer the activity at a nest is obvious, and the colony peaks in August with 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps. Knowing that a small beginning in spring can become a big problem by late summer is the main reason to act when you can see an established entrance.
Bumblebees follow a quieter calendar, with fewer insects and an earlier end. Honeybees remain active in a hive through the year, and a swarm can appear in late spring and early summer, which is a matter for a beekeeper.
For this reason, many people prefer to book as soon as they are sure, since an early job is simply a tidier one.
Equally, there is no need to ring about every large insect seen in April. Wait, watch and use the clues here first.
Getting help in Nottingham
If the signs point to wasps, we can attend around Nottingham. A wasp nest is treated at a fixed £95 per nest, with £35 for an additional nest on the same property, and there is no call-out charge. The price is confirmed on the phone before the technician visits, and nothing is done until you agree.
If the evidence points to bees, please contact a local beekeeper or bee organisation instead. To book wasp treatment, ring 0116 214 9259 or use the contact page. We are open seven days a week, with same-day service available, for homes and businesses, and our technicians are trained and fully insured.
If you find a small papery nest early, ask us when you book whether the empty nest can be taken down afterwards.
Wasps on your property in Nottingham?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.