Can You Tell the Difference Between Hoverflies and Wasps?

There you are, sitting in the garden on a rare day of sunshine, enjoying a light breeze and the chance to just relax for a bit. Suddenly, you find yourself annoyed by two or three (or more) wasps.

But are they wasps? They’re not moving much – instead, they’re just… well, hanging in the air. And they seem a little smaller than the average wasp too. If you get a chance to have a closer look, they’ve actually only got one pair of wings, instead of two pairs like wasps have.

So the chances are you’re not actually looking at a group of wasps at all. Instead, you’re being bothered by hoverflies. They love a bit of sun, so if they find a nice warm spot they are likely to stay there. They start appearing in June and hang around all through the warmer months until September, and they can be quite bothersome.

They love nothing better than feasting on flowers that provide them with a steady stream of nectar. To this end, if you are bothered by them and you want to reduce their numbers, it is best to reduce the number of flowering plants you have in areas where you want to sit outside and enjoy a meal or drink. This can help relocate them to another part of your garden, which is better than having them hassling you all the time. At least they don’t sting, which is good news to bear in mind.

If you find they are coming indoors, look around and see if there are any food sources that might be attracting them. If you eat in your conservatory, for example, make sure the table is cleared and wiped down with antibacterial spray every time you finish eating. Even a few crumbs could attract them inside through an open door or window. Minimising the idea of hanging out a welcome sign, so to speak, can really help a few hoverflies from turning into a swarm.

If you have a real problem with them, you might need some expert help to get rid of them more easily. While home remedies can work to an extent, and simple prevention methods are ideal in many situations, they cannot always work when you have swarms of them hassling you on a daily basis. Bear that in mind if you want a fast solution.