Small, sandy mounds in the lawn and a buzz of insects above - this spectacle may indicate an underground wasp nest. Panic is usually not necessary. Because they are probably harmless to humans - even useful species.
Earth wasps are harmless creatures
Usually only harmless wasps nest in the garden soil
Basically, there are some wasp species that set up their nests underground, at least seasonally. This also includes the annoying and stinging German and common wasps. These species are also the ones that persistently annoy us at the coffee table or at the barbecue and can administer painful stings.
If you are unlucky enough to have a colony of these species settling in your garden soil, that is critical. Especially close to the ground, unintentionally rousing insects can lead to dangerous defensive attacks. When German or common wasps choose a nesting opportunity in the ground, however, this is usually an abandoned mouse or mole burrow. So you dig less yourself.
If you find heaps of sand from which wasps fly in and out, it is very likely a digger wasp species. The digger wasps include the gyroscope wasp, the sand wasp and the beewolf. These species dig burrows in sandy soil, creating the characteristic piles. For us, however, they are completely harmless.
To remember:
- Wasps nesting in the garden soil only become dangerous if they are common or German wasps
- Not dangerous for humans: Digger wasps, recognizable by piles of sand at the entrances to the nest
How you should behave
If you have a German or common wasp nest in the garden soil, consider hiring a beekeeper to relocate the nest. However, if you want to tolerate the animals, it is advisable to cordon off the area around the nest for your own safety.
With a grave bee nest, you don't have to worry about your own safety. Although the species are also equipped with a stinger, they can only kill insect prey and cannot penetrate human skin. Because the animals can be very useful in the garden by destroying pests and pollinating flowers, you should tolerate them if possible and mow around the sand piles with the lawnmower. However, if you want to prevent them from settling again in the following year, fill up the areas with plenty of soil in the fall.