- 1). Look for signs that the insects going in and out of the nest are wasps. Wasps have slender, smooth bodies. Bees look much fatter and are hairy compared to a wasp. Wasp legs are cylindrical, and bee legs are flattened so that they can collect pollen.
- 2). Determine the location. Unlike bees, common and German wasps often build nests inside another structure, such as a roof, garden shed or in the ground in rodent or rabbit holes. You may only be able to identify an underground nest if you see wasps or hornets going in and out of the nest, or from a small airway poking up through your grass or soil. Do not try to poke or dig up the nest that is underground, as any disruption can cause wasps to swarm.
- 3). Note the size and color of the nest. A wasp nest usually has one stem. If the colony builds it outside in a tree, you can distinguish it from a bee nest because it will look like a large, gray soccer ball or tear drop. A hornet nest is also gray, but because hornets are types of wasps and their nests are controlled in the same way, it is not necessary to further differentiate between the nests.
- 4). Note the season you find the nest. If you notice a small, golf ball sized nest in the spring, it is most likely a wasp nest, as wasps build their nests in the spring.
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