How to Tell Wasps From Bees and Hornets

Black and yellow stripes, a buzz, and a sting: it is easy to lump all flying insects together. But the answer to what you have decides what happens next, because bees are protected by good practice and conservation, while wasps nests near people often need treatment.

Use the clues below to identify the insect before you do anything. If in doubt, take a photo from a safe distance.

Start with the body shape

Common wasps have a sleek, smooth body with a sharply narrow waist and bright, clean yellow and black bands. They look polished and almost hairless.

Honey bees are more golden-brown, slightly furry and less sharply striped. Bumblebees are large, round and very fluffy, often with a coloured tail tip.

Hornets are larger than common wasps, with a heavier body and more orange and brown in the colouring.

Size alone can mislead. Queens of both wasps and bumblebees are much larger in spring than workers later in the year, so a big insect in April is not necessarily a hornet.

Look at how it behaves

Wasps are scavengers and predators. In late summer they hover around bins, sugary drinks, jam, ice cream and picnics. They hunt insects to feed larvae earlier in the season.

Bees are mostly focused on flowers, gathering nectar and pollen. They tend to ignore you unless threatened. A honey bee that stings usually dies afterwards, whereas wasps can sting repeatedly.

Flight pattern helps too. Bumblebees tend to bumble slowly from flower to flower, while wasps dart and zigzag, often returning repeatedly to the same food source.

• Wasps: smooth, narrow waist, drawn to food and drink
• Honey bees: golden-brown, furry, working flowers
• Bumblebees: round, fluffy, slow and noisy
• Hornets: larger, heavier, more orange-brown

Check the nest

A wasp nest is made of a papery, grey material, like chewed-up paper, with layered, scalloped patterns. It may be in a loft, shed, cavity wall, hollow tree or under eaves.

Bumblebees nest in small colonies in the ground, grass tussocks, old rodent holes or bird boxes, with little visible structure. Honey bees live in waxy comb, often in hives but occasionally in chimneys or wall cavities.

Wasps may also be seen collecting fibres from fence posts and garden furniture, scraping at the wood with their jaws. That is a sign a nest is being built somewhere nearby.

What to do for each

If you think it is a honey bee swarm or a bumblebee nest, do not kill it. Contact a local beekeeper or look up current bee guidance. Many bumblebee nests die out naturally by the end of the season.

If it is a wasp nest in a position where people will be stung, such as near a door, window or garden path, keep clear and arrange professional treatment. Never approach or disturb a nest yourself.

If you suspect a hornet or something unusual, photograph it from a distance and check current official guidance on non-native species.

Other insects often get mistaken for wasps. Hoverflies wear yellow and black stripes but have only two wings, big eyes and do not sting. They hover in place and are harmless.

Safety around stings

Whichever insect it is, stay calm and avoid swatting. For a sting, wash the area and use a cold pack. Call 999 if there are signs of a severe allergic reaction, such as breathing difficulty or swelling of the face or throat.

Essex Pest Solutions deals with wasps only, not bees, so if a photo shows bees we will point you towards a beekeeper.

Keep food and sweet drinks covered outdoors in late summer and check cans and cups before drinking, since wasps often crawl inside.

Frequently asked questions