Wasp vs hornet — how to tell them apart in your Hertfordshire garden
Most "hornets" in Hertfordshire gardens are actually large wasps. Here's how to identify what you're really dealing with.
European hornets, Asian hornets and common wasps are all showing up across Hertfordshire — but they need very different responses. A misidentification can mean you under-react (or overpay) for treatment.
Common wasp (Vespula vulgaris)
- •Size: 12–17 mm
- •Colour: bright lemon-yellow and jet black, sharp contrast
- •Behaviour: aggressive near the nest; loves sweet food in August/September
- •Nest: grey papery ball, often in lofts and sheds
This is 95% of what we treat in Hertfordshire.
European hornet (Vespa crabro)
- •Size: 25–35 mm — noticeably bigger and louder in flight
- •Colour: chestnut-brown and yellow, less contrast than a wasp
- •Behaviour: calmer than wasps, but a sting is significantly more painful
- •Nest: in tree hollows, chimneys and outbuildings
Protected as a beneficial pollinator — but if a nest threatens a home, we'll treat it.
Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) — REPORT IT
- •Size: 25–30 mm
- •Colour: mostly black body with a single orange band on the abdomen and yellow legs
- •Behaviour: highly invasive, attacks honey bee colonies
- •Action: if you suspect an Asian hornet, report it immediately to the UK's Non-Native Species Secretariat (the official "Asian Hornet Watch" app), then call us
Asian hornets are still rare in Herts but spreading north each year. Early reporting protects beekeepers.
When in doubt — send us a photo
WhatsApp a photo to our office number and we'll ID it in minutes before quoting a callout.
Need a wasp nest removed in Herts?
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Call 07311073937