Overview

• Nests of German and common wasps can be identified by their grey, freely hanging structure and are often abandoned by mid-August, when social wasps overwinter as single queens in new nests.
• Federal Nature Conservation Act §39 prohibits disturbing or killing wasps without reason and imposes state-specific fines up to €65,000 for violations.
• Fire brigades intervene in nest removals only when there is an immediate threat to life or critical public safety, leaving routine actions to local authorities or licensed pest controllers.
• Experts advise calm, nonlethal deterrence such as covering food, avoiding sudden movements, using fine water sprays or setting out decoy feeding stations to prevent stings.
• Nonlethal relocation by certified specialists costs around €80–€150, and only individuals with life-threatening allergies are legally allowed to kill wasps in self-defence.