table of contents
- Wasp Queen: Killing Allowed?
- Possible penalties
- Specially protected wasps
- frequently asked Questions
The question often arises whether killing someone Wasp queen is punishable. In this article, you can find out whether the animals are protected and threatened with penalties.
In a nutshell
- Killing the wasp queen is forbidden according to the BNatSchG
- Workers, drones and the brood are also protected
- there is a risk of fines of 5,000 to 65,000 euros
- Fines depend on the federal state
Wasp Queen: Killing Allowed?
In Germany, wasps and their brood are under species and nature protection. This of course includes the queens as well as the workers and drones. After this Section 39 Paragraph 1 Number 1 of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG) the following actions in relation to wasps are prohibited:
- worry or otherwise disturb
- catch
- hurt
- kill
Possible penalties
If you kill a wasp queen, you will face heavy penalties. Don't worry, prison sentences are not one of these. These are exclusively fines imposed by the individual federal states. Is it after the
Paragraph 44 paragraph 1 numbers 1 and 3 of the BNatSchG for specially protected wasp species, the fines are significantly higher. For all other species the penalties are lower. Please also note that the individual fines always depend on the individual case. The following list shows you the possible fines.This will give you a quick overview of the possible penalties:
| state | Fine for protected / unprotected species in € |
|---|---|
| Baden-Wuerttemberg | up to 15,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| Bavaria | up to 5,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| Berlin | up to 5,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| Brandenburg | up to 13,000 euros / up to 65,000 euros |
| Bremen | up to 5,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| Hamburg | up to 5,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| Hesse | up to 5,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania | up to 20,000 euros / up to 20,000 euros |
| Lower Saxony | up to 5,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | up to 50,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | up to 5,000 euros / up to 5,000 euros |
| Saarland | up to 10,000 euros / up to 10,000 euros |
| Saxony | up to 5,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| Saxony-Anhalt | up to 5,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| Schleswig-Holstein | up to 5,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
| Thuringia | up to 50,000 euros / up to 50,000 euros |
Note: If you accidentally kill a wasp, for example because of fright or to protect an allergic person, you need not worry. In this case, no penalty is to be expected because you did not act willfully, but out of self-defense.
Specially protected wasps
The most famous wasp species in Germany are the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and the German wasp (Vespula germanica). They are not among the particularly protected species, so the possible penalties will not be as high. At home there is a certain species and a special genus of wasps that are particularly protected due to their high endangerment. Since these wasps rarely hang around or nest around people, you actually don't have to worry about meeting them. These are the following:
- Cudgel sawfly (Cimbex)
- Gyroscopic wasp (Bembix rostrata)
Note: The hornets (Vespa crabro) can also be counted among the specially protected wasp species. They must not be willfully killed or captured. Otherwise you have to expect the same high fines as with the gyroscopic and head horn wasps.
frequently asked Questions
No, because the wasp nests are considered resting and breeding grounds for wasps. As a result, they may only be removed or relocated by specialists with a permit from the lower nature conservation authority. You need a valid reason for that. The winter time from the end of November to mid-April is an exception. Since the wasps have left the nest, you can remove it yourself without permission.
You will only receive a permit if the wasps pose an acute danger to residents or neighbors. If, for example, the nest is in the roller shutter box and allergy sufferers, sensitive seniors or small children live in the house, a permit is often possible. This also applies to pets that do not stay away from the insects.
Look for possible entrances into the house and close them, for example with fly screens. In this way, the wasp queen cannot settle down in the spring and start building the nest. You can also attach nets under eaves. You can also cultivate herbs such as lemon balm, lavender, rosemary and peppermint on your property, balcony or terrace. The smells drive away the insects.
No, wasps don't sting people or pets for pure pleasure. However, if the nest is threatened, hit at them or they can no longer escape, they use their sting for defense. As with bees, the most common stings occur when a person accidentally steps on or leans on the insect. At the same time, wasps are attracted to foods that contain protein or sugar. This brings them closer to people.