What should I do if I find a wasp or hornet nest at home?
Leave the nest alone, keep people and pets away from it and send us a photo taken from a safe distance. Until UpClean's technicians have assessed it:
- Do not poke the nest, burn it, hose it or spray it with insecticide. The colony can be provoked into attacking, and a flame near a roof or trees is a fire risk.
- Close the windows and balcony doors near the nest, and tell children and household staff to keep clear.
- Bring pets indoors and do not let them play around the nest.
- Photograph the nest from a safe distance and send the picture to 0773 521 104 on WhatsApp or Zalo for a first assessment.
- If someone is stung, move them away from the nest. If they have been stung many times, or have difficulty breathing, heavy swelling or dizziness, call the emergency number 115 or go to a medical facility at once.
Is it a wasp, a hornet or a honeybee?
Knowing which insect has nested helps to judge the danger and choose the method. A photo taken from a safe distance is usually enough for UpClean's technicians to form a first view.
| Insect | How to recognise it and its nest |
|---|---|
| Wasps | Slender, narrow-waisted, yellow and black. The nest looks like a paper canopy or a round ball and hangs under eaves, from a branch or on a window frame. They are easily provoked when someone comes near the nest. |
| Hornets and ground-nesting wasps | Larger. Some species nest in a tree hollow, a wall cavity or underground in the garden. The nest can grow quickly, so it is better dealt with early. |
| Honeybees | Small, hairy and golden brown. The nest is built of several layers of wax comb, usually in a wall cavity, a roof or an old wooden crate. A colony tends to be calmer when undisturbed, which makes it suited to relocation. |
How do you get rid of a wasp nest safely?
By surveying first and treating second. Wasps and hornets can attack as a swarm when their nest is disturbed, and their venom is more dangerous for young children, older people and anyone prone to allergic reactions. For that reason UpClean does not promise same-day removal before the position of the nest and the way to reach it have been assessed.
UpClean's own pest-control technicians carry out the treatment, in protective gear and to the plan you have approved. The Up specialist surveys, records the work in photos, clears up afterwards and sends the Up Report, our photo record of each visit. UpClean has declared its eligibility to provide pest-control services as required by regulation; the declaration and product information are available on request.
On the day, windows are closed, a safety zone is set up around the nest, and children, older people and pets stay in a closed room away from it. The time when the area can be used again is written in the plan and confirmed at handover. How the nest itself is handled depends on where it is.
| Where the nest is | How it is handled |
|---|---|
| Low and easy to reach | Under ground-floor eaves, on a low branch or in a balcony corner. The technician treats the nest in protective gear and takes it down once the colony is no longer active. |
| High up | On a roof, a high balcony or a tall tree. Work goes ahead only where there is safe access such as a fixed ladder, a railing or a working platform, with a safety harness where needed. Where that cannot be assured, the quote sets out the alternative, for example access with dedicated lifting equipment. |
| Inside a wall cavity, ceiling or service duct | The colony's way in and out has to be found first. An inspection hatch or duct cover may need to be opened, with your consent, and the entry point is sealed after treatment. |
| Honeybees | A honeybee colony is less aggressive when it is left undisturbed. Where conditions allow, the technicians prefer to relocate it and not destroy it. |
How do I stop wasps and bees nesting again?
Find new nests while they are small, and take away the shelter and food that attract the insects.
- Check eaves, balconies, window frames and garden trees in the dry season and at the start of the rains, while any new nest is still small.
- Seal wall cavities, gaps in the roof and ventilation holes without mesh, the places wasps and bees tend to choose.
- Keep bins closed, and do not leave sweet drinks, ripe fruit or pet food outdoors for long.
- Clear old wooden crates, old pots and unused items from the roof terrace and attic.
- Do not deal with even a small nest yourself without protective gear. Send a photo and ask for advice.
How do I get rid of geckos in the house humanely?
The aim is fewer geckos indoors and fewer coming back, not killing them. Geckos do no direct harm in the way insects do, and they eat mosquitoes, ants and small cockroaches. What bothers households is the droppings on walls, curtains and kitchen worktops, and the feeling that the home is not clean. The work has four parts.
| Measure | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Cut off the food supply | Geckos gather around lights because flying insects are drawn to them. Fewer lights on the balcony, insect screens and control of mosquitoes and cockroaches help to reduce gecko numbers noticeably. |
| Seal entry points and hiding places | Gaps around doors and aircon pipes, holes through walls and the space behind cabinets and picture frames are where they shelter. The Up specialist notes each one and advises on sealing it or fitting mesh. |
| Deter, catch and release | Safe deterrent measures are used, and geckos are caught and released outdoors where possible. UpClean does not use poison bait for geckos indoors, to avoid any risk to young children and pets. |
| Clean up the traces | Droppings are wiped from walls, curtains and cabinet surfaces. Marks that have sat on fabric curtains for a long time may mean the curtains need washing. |
How do I get rid of crickets in the house and garden?
Remove their shelter outdoors and close the gaps they come in through. Crickets like damp, dark places such as drain chambers, gaps between paving, the base of trees and planters, and they are drawn to lights at night. The plan usually combines two things outdoors: clearing rotting leaves and piles of bricks or stones and keeping drain covers shut, and treatment of the outdoor area by UpClean's technicians with products that have a valid registration number in Vietnam. Indoors, the priority is to seal gaps around doors, fit a seal along the bottom of the door and vacuum hidden corners thoroughly.
How much does wasp nest removal or gecko control cost?
UpClean does not apply one standard rate, because every nest and every house is different. A nest that is easy to reach can be quoted from photos or a video. A nest high up or inside a wall, or geckos and crickets across a whole house, needs a survey on site, which is free. The all-inclusive quote is given in writing before any work and does not change unless you agree in writing. The cost depends on five things.
| Factor | What we look at |
|---|---|
| Species and size of nest | Wasp, hornet or honeybee; newly started or already large. |
| Height and access | Ground floor, high balcony, roof or tall tree; whether there is a fixed ladder or railing, or lifting equipment is needed. |
| Position of the nest | In the open, or inside a wall cavity, ceiling or service duct that has to be opened and sealed again. |
| Extent of geckos and crickets | One room, or the whole house and garden; the number of entry points to record. |
| Follow-up visits | As agreed in the plan and stated in the quote. |
Which areas of Ho Chi Minh City do you cover for wasp, bee and gecko control?
UpClean works regularly in An Khanh ward (Sala, Thu Thiem, Thao Dien), Binh Trung, Cat Lai, Phu My Hung (Tan My and Tan Hung wards) and Thanh My Tay ward, and in Districts 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11 and 12, Phu Nhuan, Go Vap, Tan Binh, Tan Phu, former District 9 and Nha Be commune. The city replaced its districts with wards in July 2025, but people still use the district names, so we do too. Surveys and treatment take place between 7:00 AM and 8:00 PM on any day, at a time confirmed once the technicians have assessed safety. Nest treatment is usually scheduled for a time when the colony is less active.
- Guide: cockroaches, ants and geckos in Saigon apartments
- A longer read on what brings them in and what to do.
- Pest control
- For the mosquitoes, ants and cockroaches that geckos feed on.
- Curtain cleaning
- For gecko marks that have set into fabric curtains.
