We are well into the warmer weather meaning there’s a greater chance of bumping into angry wasps or bees by mistake.

Wasp and bee stings are two of Australia’s most common causes of anaphylaxis. While neither species sets out to sting you on purpose – unless they’re agitated – accidents happen, and the stings can be searingly painful and occasionally fatal.

The discovery of a wasps’ nest often leads property owners to take matters into their own hands. This decision-making usually occurs moments after a swarm of insects have executed a shock attack where the unsuspecting human has unintentionally strayed too close to a nest obscured on the side of the house, under a light fitting, or even hanging above a garage door.

But trying to remove these stingers is easier said than done and is usually best left to a professional pest inspector. The issue is that DIY attempts to remove a wasp nest can only aggravate these stinging insects, leading to painful stings, which can be dangerous if you are allergic to them.

If you are set on removing these insects from your property, forget burning them out. A wasp nest is highly flammable and burning it can put your property at risk of catching on fire, while you could suffer from burns if the strategy goes pear-shaped. Using fire will irritate any wasps that avoid the flames, and they’ll look to exact their revenge. 

Likewise, flooding a wasp nest isn’t effective either, or if you get it wrong, you’ll only antagonise the bugs. Again, taking a stick or another garden implement to a nest is fraught with danger and puts you at risk of multiple stings.

If you are still adamant about removing a wasp nest, be sure to have a well-considered plan and an exit strategy to avoid any angry reprisals. Usually, removing the nest at night works better as the wasps are more docile when the sun goes down, so they are less likely to sting.

Wear protective clothing covering arms, legs, hands, feet, and your face and avoid using torches and lanterns as this will warn the wasps about the imminent threat and always keep the kids inside the house. Use a bin liner and slowly cover the wasp nest. Separate the wasp nest from the tree or wall it is attached to and seal the bag and place it in a bin with a tightly fitted lid that is away from the house.

When all is said and done, contacting a pest control professional is the best way to remove a wasp nest and manage future problems. It may seem like an easy job, but a pest control technician has the required safety clothing, equipment and pest control products and is professionally trained to handle and remove wasp and bee nests from your property safely and efficiently.