Wasps may under certain circumstances be killed and their nest removed: However, nature conservation stipulates strict rules for this - you can find more about this here.
In Germany, wasps are definitely one of the insects that everyone would prefer to do without in summer. The nerve-wracking beasts enrich themselves unbridled with sweets and meat and they especially like to sting without reason. In this article we want to clarify whether this bad reputation is really true. In addition, fighting wasps is not that easy, because the animals are under special protection. Of course, like all living beings, they also fulfill important functions in our ecosystem. There are also better ways to get rid of wasps without killing them.
Detect wasps
The real wasps (Vespinae) include 61 species worldwide. In Germany, however, there are only two species of wasps that can really get on your nerves, at least seasonally. These pests are the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and the German wasp (Vespula germanica). However, the German wasp is considered to be slightly less aggressive. Both species approach humans without much fear and can therefore occasionally cause problems. Most other wasp species stay away from humans and would never consider a table setting with sweet foods and meat as a source of food. The two aggressive wasp species mentioned are very difficult to tell apart, since the only distinguishing features are small details in the head area. In general, however, a distinction is not necessary. Only the distinction to the other peaceful wasp species will be important again later in the section "Removing the wasp nest".
The workers of the German and common wasp are about 13 - 14 mm long on average and have the typical yellow and black striped warning colors on their bodies. Aside from the coloring, the waist of wasps is a sure thingDistinguishing feature to distinguish them from bees. All real wasps have a so-called wasp waist. This is a very narrow connection between the abdomen and the front of the body, as can be seen very clearly in the picture below. Bees do not have a wasp waist, and other insects that mimic the appearance of wasps also have a larger waist. Animals that mimic the appearance of dangerous animals to protect themselves from predators are called mimicry. In relation to the wasp, these are, for example, the completely harmless grove hoverfly or the longhorned beetle.
Fighting wasps: Expelling or killing allowed?
Before you even think about repelling, killing, fighting or relocating wasps, you should take heed that wasps are consistently protected. It is generally forbidden to kill wasps. Violations can be punished with severe fines. In addition to the not always clear legal situation, which we will talk about in a moment, wasps also have a high ecological benefit. On the one hand, they devour a large number of harmful insects and are therefore also among the beneficial insects. On the other hand, they also serve as an important source of food for many birds and are therefore very worthy of protection. Especially when you consider the sharp decline in biodiversity among birds.
Regarding the legal situation, it should also be said that wasps may only be fought if there is a justified risk. This is the case, for example, with people who are allergic to wasp stings. It is not entirely clear what the justified danger is in non-allergic people. However, the mere presence of a wasp should not be a valid reason to kill a wasp.
Wasp traps: Allowed or forbidden?
In addition to fighting wasps, catching wasps with wasp traps is also prohibited. It does not matter whether the wasp trap was self-made or purchased. Finally, it should be said again that wasps do not attack without a reason and with careful behavior there should be no reason to have to fight or kill wasps. You should only exercise caution in the immediate vicinity of a wasp nest. Wasps will always defend their nest and painful stings can result.
Detect and remove wasp nest
Sometimes it can happen that the wasp queen chooses your balcony or yourgarden as a building site for her nest. Then you have to weigh up carefully whether you can come to terms with the nest for a summer or whether it has to be removed. It is important to take a closer look at the location of the nest and the nest itself in order to weigh this up.
Warning: At this point we would like to expressly point out that you should always keep a distance of at least 3 meters from the nest. The common wasp and the German wasp in particular can otherwise react relatively aggressively and also bite more often. The aggressiveness of the wasps is greatly increased by shaking, hectic movements and by touching the nest. However, if these rules of conduct are followed, staying near the nest should not be a problem.
Detect wasp nest
The nest itself can reveal a lot about the wasp species that live there. In the case of the German wasp and the common wasp, the nest should be relatively large later in the season. In addition, the nests of both species show typical semicircular air pockets, while many other more peaceful wasp species have smaller nests, the outer shells of which also often have cross-striped air pockets. If the nest is hanging freely in a hedge or is generally not in the dark, then there is a high probability that it is a peaceful wasp species. If the entrance hole is directly at the bottom of the nest, it is very likely to be a hornet's nest. By the way, hornets are also real wasps. After this assessment, you should be able to roughly assess whether it is a more peaceful or more aggressive wasp species.
The time of year also plays a role in assessing whether the wasp nest should be removed. In late summer, fighting is usually no longer worthwhile because the wasp colony will be dissolved in some time anyway. After that, the wandering workers can strain your nerves for a short time, until the first frost. They fly aimlessly around in search of food, but also spread out over a large area. Fighting the wasp's nest doesn't help at this point either.
Remove wasp nest
If nothing helps and there is a direct threat to you or other people, you should take action. First you need a permit fromcontact the responsible nature conservation agency so that the nest can be removed. We do not advise relocating or controlling the nest yourself. Fighting a large colony of wasps can put you in serious danger as many wasp stings and stings in the throat region can be quite dangerous.
Mistakes can also be made during relocation, which is why the wasp colony may die. It is therefore advisable to ask surrounding nature conservation organizations and beekeepers whether they can take care of removing the nest. Here you will usually be made cheaper offers than with a professional pest controller. Whether a nest can be resettled or whether only combating it makes sense, the specialist usually has to decide on site. Of course, resettlement and thus the preservation of the wasp colony is always preferable to combating it.
Did you know that there are some plants that can repel wasps? In our special article you will find interesting facts about plants against wasps.