Watch the flight path
Stand well back on a sunny day and watch where the wasps are flying. Workers fly in fairly straight lines to and from the nest. Follow the line with your eyes and look for a spot where wasps keep going in and out.
Common places for wasp nests
- Eaves, soffits and fascias where there is a gap behind the board
- Lofts, often attached to rafters or the felt
- Air bricks and wall cavities, with wasps entering through a single hole
- Sheds, garages and outbuildings
- Hedges, bushes and trees
- In the ground, in old rodent burrows or under paving
- Bird boxes, compost bins and under decking
Do not
- Block the entrance; wasps will chew a new way out, sometimes into your home
- Spray it with household products or hit it
- Pour water or petrol into a ground nest
- Stand in the flight path
What a wasp nest looks like
Wasp nests are made of chewed wood pulp and look grey and papery, with a swirled or layered surface. In spring they can be the size of a golf ball. By August they can be bigger than a football.
Is it a wasp nest or a bee nest?
Bumblebees often nest in bird boxes, compost and under sheds, and honeybees in chimneys and wall cavities. Bees should not be treated. Read wasps or bees? if you are unsure.
When to call us
If the nest is near a door, window, path, play area or anywhere people go, or if anyone in the home is allergic to stings, call us. Treatment is usually a single visit. See wasp nest removal.
Questions and answers
Can a wasp nest be inside the house wall?
Yes. Wasps often nest in cavity walls, entering through an air brick or gap in the mortar.
When are wasp nests most active?
From June to September. Nests are largest and wasps most aggressive in late summer.
Should I treat a nest I cannot reach?
Leave it to a professional. Do not climb ladders near an active nest.
Related pages
This page is general information, last reviewed on 19 October 2026. It is not a substitute for an on-site inspection.