The comb and the paper nest
The wasps, wasp nests and bees around your home
A paper wasp builds its nest from wood fibre mixed with saliva, which dries into something like paper. A honey bee colony usually settles in a tree hollow or in the cavity of a wall or roof. This guide tells the two apart, explains swarms, stings and varroa, and points to the government and museum pages that have the official word.
Before anything else
What the official pages say first
Four lines from health and biosecurity pages, quoted or kept close to their words. Each one links to its source.
- healthdirect · a severe allergic reaction
If you think a bee or wasp sting has caused anaphylaxis, healthdirect says to give the adrenaline autoinjector straight away, then ring triple zero (000) for an ambulance. Its anaphylaxis page puts it this way: give an adrenaline autoinjector if one is available, and ring triple zero (000) for an ambulance. The full first-aid steps, in healthdirect’s order and in our own words, are in stings and allergic reactions.
- healthdirect · nests
To help prevent stings, healthdirect lists “having bee or wasp nests removed by professionals”, because “removing them yourself can increase your chance of being stung”.
- ACT Government · wasp nests on private land
“Do not attempt to treat the nest as you risk being stung.” The ACT page says a nest on private land is the owner’s responsibility and should be removed by a qualified pest control operator.
- Western Australia · European wasps
Western Australia’s Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development asks people to report a European wasp nest to the department, and not to treat it. See European wasps.
Four you are likely to meet
Which is which
Colour and shape first, then the nest. The stripes below are drawn from each description, not to scale.
Honey bee
Generally brown, its abdomen striped in dull yellow and brown, and thickly hairy over the head, thorax and abdomen.
Its sting is barbed and stays in the skin. Bee swarms
European wasp
Thickset, with black antennae and an abdomen striped bright yellow and black, each yellow stripe carrying two black spots.
Its nest is usually underground. European wasps
Native paper wasp
Slender, with a very narrow waist; the abdomen has some yellow or orange bands but is mainly black.
Nests are built under tree branches and the eaves of houses. Paper wasps and native wasps
Stingless bee
Small and dark, 4–5 mm long, living in colonies in tree hollows and other cavities.
It has no sting. Native bees
Six cells
The six guides
Three about wasps and bees you might find, one about native bees, one about stings, and one for people who keep bees.
- Wasps
European wasps
How to recognise one, where the nest hides, and what each government asks.
- Wasps
Paper wasps and native wasps
Telling the native wasps apart, and the nests you can see.
- Bees
Bee swarms
What a swarm is, when it happens, and who collects one.
- Bees
Native bees
Six native bees you might meet in a garden.
- First aid
Stings and allergic reactions
healthdirect’s steps, in its order, and when to call for help.
- Beekeepers
Varroa mite and beekeepers
What the varroa response means for a backyard hive, state by state.
Where the official pages point
Where to report
A selection, by what you have found. Rules differ between states and territories, so each row names whose rule it is.
| You have found | Where | What the page says |
|---|---|---|
| Someone having a severe allergic reaction to a sting | Anywhere in Australia | Give the adrenaline autoinjector straight away, then ring triple zero (000) for an ambulance. healthdirect’s anaphylaxis page puts it this way: give an adrenaline autoinjector if one is available, and ring triple zero (000) for an ambulance. The full steps |
| A European wasp or its nest | Western Australia | Report a suspected European wasp to the department’s Pest and Disease Information Service or through the MyPestGuide Reporter app. DPIRD’s European wasp page |
| A European wasp nest on public land | ACT | The ACT Government treats nests on ACT Government land; report one with its European Wasp, Ants or Bees Report form. ACT wasps page |
| A bee swarm on private property | ACT | Call a swarm collector; the ACT page points to the Amateur Beekeepers Australia website to find one. ACT bees page |
| A swarm of bees | Australian Museum advice | Do not approach it; contact your local beekeepers’ association. Bee swarms |
| Varroa mite in a hive | Varies by state and territory | Reporting requirements vary by state; the national program’s reporting page links each state’s own. Varroa mite and beekeepers |
About
About this guide
waspnestremoval.com.au is a concept website: a guide to wasps and bees in plain words, published by Dotto. It is written from official and expert sources: healthdirect for stings and first aid, state and territory government pages for wasps, swarms and beekeeping, and the Australian Museum for identifying insects. The sources are linked on every page.
Rules about wasps and bees differ between states and territories, and they change. The national varroa response, for one, moved from trying to eradicate the mite to managing it after September 2023. Where this guide and an official page differ, the official page is right.