On Thursday, 8 October 2026, a house in Sukaluyu village, Telukjambe Timur, Karawang Regency, went up in flames. Kusnadi, an officer with the Karawang fire service, said initial information put the cause down to someone "burning a wasp nest and twigs" in front of the house. Three fire engines went out. Nobody was hurt.
The same thing happened in Kutai Barat, East Kalimantan, in June 2022. A member of the homeowner's family used a torch on a nest in the ceiling, the plywood wall lining caught, and almost the whole house burned.
The stings can kill, too. On 21 February 2024, UD, a 50-year-old mosque caretaker in Kedungjaya, Bogor City, was stung while trying to remove a wasp nest from a neighbour's roof without any protective gear. He died that night. M. Ade Nugraha of the Bogor City fire and rescue service told Antara the wasp was probably Vespa affinis, a species he described as aggressive and capable of killing.
Work out what it is from a safe distance
People call anything with a sting a wasp or a bee, but the risk varies a lot. The University of California's pest notes (UC IPM) say wasps like sheltered spots such as eaves, ceiling voids and tree branches. On a two-storey house that means gaps in the fascia, the edge of the porch ceiling, the carport canopy frame, the back of the outdoor AC unit, the roller-door box and the tree in the front garden.
| Type | What you will see | How dangerous |
|---|---|---|
| Lesser banded hornet, locally "tawon ndas" (Vespa affinis) | Black with yellow or orange bands on the abdomen. A closed, papery nest with an entrance hole. | High. Stings repeatedly and calls in the rest of the colony. |
| Paper wasp (Polistes) | An open, umbrella-shaped nest hanging from a stalk, cells visible from below, rarely bigger than an outstretched hand. | Low. Rarely stings unless the nest is where people walk. |
| Honey bee | Wax combs. The stinger stays in the skin. | Stings when trapped or stepped on. Dangerous for people with allergies. |
| Carpenter bee | Large, shiny black, bores round holes about 1.3 cm wide into unpainted wood. | Males cannot sting. Females sting only if handled. The holes damage wood. |
LIPI biologist Rosichon Ubaidillah told CNN Indonesia in October 2019 that Vespa affinis releases a pheromone that brings other colony members in to sting, and that one colony can hold hundreds to thousands of wasps. He called the species deadly when it attacks in a swarm, and said the wasps sting only to defend themselves. So a nest that nobody disturbs usually leaves people alone.
What not to do
Burn it with a torch or dry leaves
Both fires above started this way. On cluster houses, nests often hang under gypsum ceilings, on canopy roofs, or near electrical cables and AC pipes. A flame at that height is hard to control from the ground, especially on a windy afternoon.
Spray it yourself at night from a ladder
UC IPM points out that night is when most of the colony is at the nest, and stings are still likely after dark even with a long-range spray. If the nest is on the upper-floor fascia, you would be facing an angry colony while standing on a ladder, and the fall is as dangerous as the stings.
Hit it, poke it or hose it
The first sting can bring others in through that pheromone. If a wasp lands on you, UC IPM says stay calm, do not swat, and wait for it to fly off or brush it away gently.
After a Muaragembong resident died from Vespa affinis stings, the then head of the Bekasi Regency health office, Sri Enny Mainiarti, said residents were barred from removing nests themselves and should report them to officials straight away, Antara reported in December 2019.
In Bekasi City, call 112
Bekasi City runs the Patriot Siaga 112 service under Mayor Regulation No. 32 of 2024, in force since 1 January 2025. Article 6 lists "wild animal evacuation" as one of its services, and the annex names the Bekasi City Fire and Rescue Service as the first agency for animal rescue. Under the regulation, calls to 112 carry no phone charge and agents work 24 hours. The regulation does not mention wasps by name and does not set any fee for the callout, so ask when you call.
Have this ready before you dial:
- Your full address: cluster name, block and house number.
- Where the nest is, for example "under the upper-floor fascia, carport side".
- Its rough size, plus a photo taken from a safe distance with your phone's zoom.
- Whether anyone has already been stung.
While you wait, close the windows on that side and keep children and pets away. The same number handles snakes in the house, which we covered in snakes in Bekasi homes during the rainy season.
If someone gets stung
For an ordinary sting, the NHS and the MSD Manual give much the same advice. Scrape any stinger out sideways with the edge of a bank card or a fingernail, and do not pinch it with tweezers, which can push more venom in. Wash with soap and water, then hold an ice pack wrapped in cloth on it for at least 20 minutes. Try not to scratch. Antihistamines or painkillers from a pharmacy can ease the itching and swelling.
Go to the emergency room or call 112 if there is sudden swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue or throat; fast, difficult or wheezy breathing; a tight throat or trouble swallowing; pale or bluish skin or lips; sudden confusion, drowsiness or dizziness; or fainting.
The MSD Manual notes that in someone with an allergy, a single sting can trigger fatal anaphylaxis. The NHS also wants people seen by a doctor if they were stung more than once, stung in the mouth or near the eyes, or have had a serious allergic reaction before. The Bekasi Regency health office also warned that if treatment comes late, the venom can damage organs, up to acute pulmonary oedema and kidney failure within days. Don't wait for the swelling to spread.
Check the roofline once a month
A nest spotted while it is small is far easier to deal with. On the Emerald 70 at Kingspoint, Jl. Raya Perjuangan, North Bekasi, a two-storey house with 70 m² of floor space, the spots to scan from the garden are the upper-floor fascia, the porch ceiling edge, the carport canopy frame and the back of the outdoor AC unit. Use your phone's zoom from the ground so you don't need a ladder.
Small gaps are the way in. UC IPM says some wasps nest inside wall and ceiling voids, so close up loose fascia joints and fit mesh over ceiling vents. For carpenter bees, UC IPM recommends painting or varnishing exposed wood regularly and plugging old holes with steel wool and caulk. Fold this check into clearing the gutters before the rainy season.
Frequently asked questions
What number do I call to remove a wasp nest in Bekasi City?
Call 112 (Patriot Siaga 112). Bekasi Mayor Regulation No. 32 of 2024 lists wild animal evacuation as one of its services, and animal rescue requests go to the Bekasi City Fire and Rescue Service. The call is free of phone charges and agents answer 24 hours a day.
Can I burn a wasp nest myself?
Better not. On 8 October 2026 a house in Telukjambe Timur, Karawang, went up in flames, and the fire service's initial information pointed to a wasp nest and twigs being burned. On cluster houses, nests often sit close to ceilings, canopies and electrical cables.
When does a wasp sting need the emergency room?
Go to the emergency room or call 112 if there is sudden swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, fast or noisy breathing, trouble swallowing, pale or bluish skin or lips, sudden dizziness or confusion, or fainting. Anyone stung more than once, or with a past allergic reaction to stings, should also see a doctor.
Sources: iNews/RCTI+, 9 October 2026 (Telukjambe Timur fire); Liputan6, 24 June 2022 (Kutai Barat); Antara, 22 February 2024 (Bogor City) and 18 December 2019 (Bekasi Regency health office); CNN Indonesia, 10 October 2019 (LIPI); Bekasi Mayor Regulation No. 32 of 2024 (Articles 1, 6, 7, 17 and the annex) from the Bekasi City legal database (JDIH); UC IPM pest notes on social wasps and carpenter bees; MSD Manual, Indonesian edition; NHS, insect bites and stings. This article does not replace a doctor's examination.
Want to see the Emerald 70 roofline?
Ask about the fascia, porch ceiling and carport canopy, and the Emerald 70 units still available on Jl. Raya Perjuangan, North Bekasi.
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