Distance, resettlement and costs

Remove a wasp nest yourself

Fumigation, smashing, spraying with construction foam, burning - there are many martial-sounding suggestions when looking for home remedies to remove a wasp nest. However, the fact is that all of these methods strictly forbidden are - and whoever is caught doing so has to face a not insignificant fine calculate. Wasps are under in Germany natural reserve and may not be killed or captured.

Removing a wasp nest on your own is dangerous anyway, both for you and for the animals: wasps will defend themselves if attacked. If you tamper with their nest, you have to expect numerous wasp stings - and they are painful, in rare cases, for example in the case of an unknown allergy, even dangerous. In addition, the animals usually do not survive the removal of the wasp nest or improper resettlement.

Only proven experts such as pest controllers (sometimes also called exterminators) or beekeepers may carry out resettlement if you have previously applied for and approved this with the competent authority have. The nature conservation authority is usually responsible, but it can also be the city administration or the district office.

However, permission will only be granted if you can show a good reason for removing the wasp's nest. This can e.g. B. a (proven!) allergy or a severe impairment of the quality of living. If there is no such reason, the application can be rejected.

Removal of wasp nests in and around the house

If you are the owner of a house or apartment yourself, you must bear the costs of applying for and professionally removing the wasp nest yourself. Tenants, on the other hand, can demand these costs from their landlord, because according to a judgment of the Munich District Court of 24. From June 2011, the removal of a wasp nest is part of the maintenance costs and must therefore be paid for by the landlord. He may not allocate these costs to the operating costs. So if you as a tenant notice a wasp nest, report it to your landlord - he has to take care of it. You can only take action yourself and charge him for the costs incurred if he does not fulfill his obligation.

Remove wasp nests in the garden

Whether the removal of a wasp nest in the garden is approved by the competent authority depends on the location of the nest. You have a good chance of getting a permit if the nest is in a place that is heavily frequented by people. This can for example terrace or be the garden shed. Professional removal or resettlement is recommended here either in spring, when the colony is still developing, or in autumn.

As soon as winter approaches, the wasp colony dies off and the old nest remains empty. Only the young queens look for a warm winter quarters and start a new colony the following spring. So if you can wait half a year, you should start with the distance up to Autumn wait. The empty nest can be safely removed by November at the latest.

cost of removal

Never remove wasp nests yourself - in the worst case, this can cost a fine of up to 50,000 euros! Instead, hire a reputable pest control company or the local beekeeper. Local environmental protection associations sometimes take over the professional removal of a wasp nest. The fire brigade – as is sometimes advised – is not responsible for this.

You can get the addresses of reputable companies, for example, from the responsible environmental agency, from the city administration or from the professional association of pest controllers. Ask for a written estimate, which should not exceed around 100 to 150 euros, including travel. It only gets more expensive if the nest is difficult to access and a lifting platform has to be used, for example.

This is how professional removal works

Professionals don't just destroy wasp nests, but catch the flying animals, carefully remove the nest and put it back in another place. The experts proceed as follows:

• Catch the flying animals (i.e. the workers) with a suction device
• catch in a catch box
• careful removal of the nest with queen, comb and brood
• Moving the nest to a special hornet box
• Brood cells should be preserved
• Setting up the hornet box with nest elsewhere, e.g. B. in the forest
• Catch box is also placed in the hornet box and opened
• Removal of the (now empty) collection box a few days later
• Ideally, a follow-up check will take place a little later

The resettlement of the wasp nest is only possible in full protective clothing. In the following video you can see from minute 20:10 to 23:00 how such a resettlement takes place.

Identify wasp nest

There are about 60 different ones worldwide wasp species, in Germany two species are native: the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and the German wasp (Vespula germanica). The rarer hornet (Vespa crabro) is also a wasp. While the former species are difficult for the layperson to distinguish, the hornets simply because of their size. You can recognize the different species and their nests by the following characteristics, which are clearly presented in the table.

If a striking number of animals fly around or even in the house or garden, it is likely that there is a nest somewhere in a hidden place. Find a dark, rain-protected place with entry and exit options, but be careful: stop Keep a distance of at least three meters, otherwise you could be perceived as an intruder and attacked by the animals become.

In addition to the German and common wasp, there are others in Germany that are much less common in the vicinity of humans and whose populations are also significantly smaller. These include, for example

• Saxon wasp (Dolichovespula saxonica): approx. 200 to 300 animals per nest. The nests are often hanging freely in the roof beams and reach a diameter of up to 25 centimeters.
• Paper wasps (Polistinae): They also often build their nests near humans, e.g. B. under roof tiles or in sheds in sun-exposed areas, papery nests with exposed comb and no protective covering, attached to substrate by stalk.

These species are considered to be significantly more peaceful than the German or common wasp as long as they are left alone. In contrast to the other two species, they do not disturb the summer coffee table either, as they feed mainly on flower nectar.

prevent nest building

Between mid-April and early May The young queens start building a new nest. The old nests from the previous year are no longer used, but are often built in the immediate vicinity of the old nest. Wasp nests in the early stages of construction can still be removed as long as they are occupied only by the queen. This means that the nest can be removed and the queen driven away up to the size of a table tennis ball (and as long as no other animals are visible!).

Here's how removal works:

• Disturb the queen while she is building by frequently tapping or hitting the nest.
• Removing the nest ball in the absence of the queen
• Set up the removed nest ball in a different place
• Treat the area with an odor neutralizing agent (eg. B. lemon juice)
• any Close access to the nesting site.

These measures are no longer possible as soon as more wasps have hatched and fly near the nest. From this point on, there is a risk of a high fine for illegal disposal. Therefore, try to prevent the construction of a wasp nest at an early stage.

In the early stages, you can also try using home remedies to prevent nest building. At this point, the young queen can still be easily driven away by disruptive actions, e.g. B. by attaching flutter tapes or similar in the immediate vicinity of the nest. Spraying the queen with water also drives her away from the targeted nesting site.

In addition, wasps are very sensitive to odors and can be easily driven away by unpleasant odors. These are z. B. citrus-scented essential oils (citronella), but also tea tree or clove oil. Also the smell of basil and garlic, wasps don't particularly like it, so you can e.g. B. Spray garlic tea or basil oil or plant the mentioned plants.

Dispose of wasp nest

A completely empty wasp nest can be removed in autumn and - unless it is chemically, e.g. B. treated with insecticides – can be disposed of with organic waste or on the compost. The nests consist exclusively of wood fibers, which are easy to compost. If chemical agents such as wasp or construction foam were used, it is hazardous waste. This must be disposed of properly and does not belong in the household waste.

Sometimes it is recommended to simply leave old wasp nests hanging. After all, the animals would not build another one where one is already hanging. That's not entirely true, as new queens often build close to where they were born. They are not impressed by an old nest and have to be driven elsewhere.

FAQ

How do you remove a wasp nest?

In principle, a wasp nest may only be removed by a specialist – for example a pest controller or beekeeper. The experts do not destroy the nest, but carefully catch the animals with a vacuum cleaner, remove the nest and put it back in a hornet box at another location. The wasps are released again.

How much does it cost to remove a wasp nest?

The removal of a wasp nest by a specialist costs around 100 to 150 euros, provided that no complex measures such as the use of a cherry picker are required. Beekeepers also offer this partial service free of charge. The consumer centers advise getting a cost estimate and never paying the bill in cash at the front door.

Can you remove a wasp nest yourself?

Wasps fall under the Federal Nature Conservation Act and may not be caught or killed. It is therefore strictly forbidden to remove, destroy or even relocate a wasp nest yourself. This may only be done upon application to the competent authority, with permission and by experts.

How much does it cost to kill wasps?

A violation of these guidelines can be punished with a fine of up to 50,000 euros, depending on the severity! Removal is only permitted in the very early stages of nest building, when the wasp nest is no larger than a ping-pong ball and apart from the queen no wasps are yet flying.

How do I dispose of a wasp nest?

A wasp nest that has been completely emptied in autumn can be removed in accordance with nature conservation and disposed of in the organic waste bin or on the compost. It consists of wood fibers that quickly decompose in contact with moisture. However, has the nest been chemically treated, e.g. B. with an insecticide or with wasp foam, it is hazardous waste. This must not be disposed of with household waste either.