Wasp, bee or hornet? How to tell what is in your Cork garden
Bees get treated by mistake every summer in Cork. A quick look at shape, colour and flight tells you which insect you have — and whether it needs treating at all.
Common wasp
Bright yellow and black, smooth and shiny, narrow waist, fast and jerky in flight. Nests are grey papery balls in attics, sheds and wall cavities. These are the ones that get aggressive around food and bins in August.
Honeybee
Browner and furrier, calmer flight, and usually in a steady stream to one spot. A swarm hanging in a ball on a branch or wall is a colony on the move, not an attack. Swarms are collected by beekeepers, not treated — we put Cork callers in touch with a local association keeper free of charge.
Bumblebee
Large, round, very furry, slow and loud. Colonies are small, die out naturally by late summer and rarely sting. They are protected pollinators in decline and we will always advise leaving them be unless a nest is genuinely in the way of a doorway or a child's play area.
Hornets in Ireland
The European hornet is not established in Ireland, and the Asian hornet is an invasive species being monitored. If you believe you have seen either, take a photo from a safe distance and report it to the National Biodiversity Data Centre as well as ringing us.
Send us a photo first
A photo on WhatsApp takes ten seconds and often saves you a call-out. We will tell you honestly if what you have is a bee that should be left alone.
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Fixed prices, no call-out fee, seven days a week across Cork city and county.