In a rented flat in Germany your landlord pays to remove a wasp nest; in your own house you pay yourself. A pest controller usually charges EUR 50 to 250. Contents insurance (Hausratversicherung) only pays if a home assistance add-on (Schutzbrief) is included, often up to EUR 500 or 1,000 per case.
What wasp nest removal costs in Germany, based on prices published in 2026.
Example
Typical range
Free hanging nest in a shed or carport
about EUR 50 to 100
Nest in a shutter box or on the facade
about EUR 100 to 180
Nest under roof tiles or in the attic
about EUR 150 to 250
Hard to reach, scaffolding needed
from about EUR 250
Schutzbrief as an add-on to contents insurance (2016 test)
about EUR 22 to 55 a year
Prices without emergency surcharge; evenings, weekends and public holidays cost more.
The add-on premiums come from a 2016 test.
Your premium depends on the policy; we obtain the exact quote.
Worked example
Detached house, nest in the shutter box of the children's room
A child in the household is allergic to wasp stings. The nest was found in July. The Schutzbrief has been in place for two years.
Pest controller, nest in shutter box
about EUR 100 to 180
Surcharge for a Saturday appointment
about EUR 30 to 60 (guide value from our quoting practice)
Schutzbrief benefit, limit EUR 500 per case
full cost
Without Schutzbrief
about EUR 130 to 240 out of pocket
With the add-on you pay nothing here, without it about EUR 130 to 240. The add-on only pays off if you also use it for locksmiths, blocked drains or pests.
Who pays in which situation
It depends on who owns the building. In a rented flat, removing a nest is part of the landlord's maintenance duty. In your own house you pay. In a flat you own, the owners' association (WEG) pays if the nest is on common property.
Your contents insurance covers damage to your belongings. A wasp nest rarely damages anything, so the basic policy does not pay for removal. Only an add-on does, usually called a home and flat assistance policy (Haus- und Wohnungsschutzbrief).
Situation
Who pays
Nest on the balcony or shutter box of a rented flat
the landlord
Nest on the roof of your own house
you, or your Schutzbrief
Nest on the facade or roof of a shared building you co-own
the owners' association
Nest in the part of the flat you own outright
you as owner
Tenant calls a removal service in an acute emergency
in narrow cases the landlord, under section 536a BGB
Contents insurance without Schutzbrief
nobody, the basic cover does not pay
What the Schutzbrief pays and what it does not
A Schutzbrief arranges the pest controller and pays up to a limit. In a 2016 test, most providers paid up to EUR 500 per case and EUR 1,500 a year. Newer policy terms from 2026 also offer EUR 1,000 per case.
There are catches: the nest must have appeared after the policy started and you must not have known about it before. Removal must also be legally allowed. If you take out the add-on once the wasps are already flying, you get nothing.
What German nature protection law allows
Section 39 (1) of the Federal Nature Conservation Act (BNatSchG) forbids killing wild animals or destroying their habitats without good reason. For the German wasp and the common wasp, a nest may be removed if there is good reason, for example in a shutter box right next to a living room.
Hornets need an exemption from the local nature conservation authority (Untere Naturschutzbehörde). Destroying a nest without good reason can cost a fine of up to EUR 10,000 under section 69 BNatSchG, up to EUR 50,000 for specially protected species. A professional knows these rules and obtains permission.
When you do not need to do anything
If the nest hangs in a garden shed or under the eaves, away from doors and windows, and nobody in the household is allergic to stings, you can often leave it until winter. That costs nothing.
You may remove an abandoned nest yourself, ideally in January or February. Loosen it with a scraper and put it in the general waste bin.
Tenants in an emergency
Tell your landlord immediately, ideally in writing with a photo. Under section 536a (2) BGB a tenant may remedy a defect and claim the cost if the landlord is in default or immediate removal is necessary.
The Würzburg local court (judgment of 19 February 2014, 13 C 2751/13) sided with tenants who called the fire brigade because of a toddler and an allergy in the household and could not reach the landlord. The court itself called it a borderline case. Without real danger, the cost stays with you.
Step by step
Keep your distance and do not attack the nest yourself.
Take a photo from a safe distance so the professional can tell wasps from hornets.
As a tenant, inform your landlord immediately and in writing.
As an owner, check your contents policy for a Schutzbrief and call its hotline first.
Without insurance, agree a fixed price with a pest controller before the visit.
Checklist
Schutzbrief that includes wasp, hornet and bee nests
Limit of at least EUR 500 per case
Annual limit and number of call outs known
Schutzbrief hotline saved in your phone
As a tenant: landlord or property manager contact at hand
Common mistakes
Destroying the nest yourself with spray or fire
Calling an emergency service without agreeing the price
Taking out the add-on once the nest is already there
As a tenant, hiring someone without danger and without telling the landlord
Questions and answers
Frequently asked
Does contents insurance pay to remove a wasp nest?
Only with a home assistance add-on (Schutzbrief).
The basic policy does not pay.
Does my landlord have to remove the nest?
Yes, it is part of the landlord's maintenance duty.
Report it in writing.
Can I remove a wasp nest myself?
Not an active one.
You may take down an abandoned nest yourself in winter.
Will the fire brigade come?
Only in real emergencies.
An ordinary nest is a job for a pest controller.
What about hornets?
Removal needs an exemption from the local nature conservation authority.
How much does an emergency call out cost?
More than an appointment within a few days.
Expect surcharges in the evening, at weekends and on public holidays.
