Wasp, Hornet, or Bee? What to Do About the Nest

Bees are worth protecting. Wasps and hornets are often worth removing. The trick is knowing which is which before you act.

How to tell them apart

• Honey bees and bumblebees: Fuzzy, round, golden-brown or black and yellow. They're gentle unless the hive is disturbed.
• Paper wasps: Slender with a narrow waist and smooth, shiny bodies. Their nest looks like an upside-down umbrella with open cells, usually under eaves.
• Yellowjackets: Bright yellow and black. Nests are often underground or inside wall voids, and they get aggressive in late summer.
• Bald-faced hornets: Black and white, with a large gray paper nest, often high in trees or on buildings.

What to do

• Bees: Don't kill them. Call a local beekeeper or a bee removal service.
• Wasps, hornets, and yellowjackets: Keep people and pets well away from the nest, and call a professional. Nest removal is risky, even for small nests.
• Nests in walls, underground nests, or anything high up: Definitely call a pro.

Never do this

• Never knock down, spray, or poke a nest yourself.
• Never plug the hole of a nest in a wall. Wasps can chew their way into your home.
• Never use fire or gasoline.
• If anyone in your household is allergic to stings, keep everyone well away and call a pro right away.

If someone has trouble breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or dizziness after a sting, call emergency services.