Wasp nest found — what to do?

Why this is tricky

A wasp nest looks harmless, but depending on the season and the state of the colony it is anything but. In spring the nest is still small and barely defended; by late summer the colony has reached its maximum strength and is at its most aggressive. If a colony loses its queen, the workers become «queenless» and react extremely irritably to any disturbance. Without expert knowledge, neither the species nor the condition of the colony can be assessed reliably — which is why an ill-considered intervention can turn dangerous.

What you should do straight away

1. Stay calm and do not panic — frantic movements provoke attacks.
2. Keep your distance: maintain several metres of clearance from the entrance hole, and keep children and pets away.
3. Do not disturb the nest, and never close or tape over the entrance hole.
4. Get a rough idea of the location and the species — a look at our species overview (/arten) helps with the initial assessment.
5. Contact a licensed professional, who will assess size, location and species properly and choose the appropriate removal method.

Good to know

Different locations bring different challenges: a nest in the roof or attic often sits out of reach inside a cavity (more on this in our guide Wespennest im Dach), a nest in a wall or facade usually uses a narrow crack in the masonry as its entrance (guide Wespennest in der Wand), a ground nest in the lawn or garden is easily overlooked and creates a tripping hazard (guide Erdwespennest), and a nest in a roller shutter box cannot be dealt with by moving the shutter (guide Wespennest im Storenkasten). In every case the same applies: once a nest has been removed properly, it is never recolonised, so chemical after-treatment is not needed. If you are wondering whether removing a nest yourself is feasible, our guide Wespennest selber entfernen has the answers. Wespenprofis.ch takes care of proper and safe removal (/wespennest-entfernen).