Found a wasp or hornet nest in Fukuoka or Kumamoto: who to call, what the city does and what removal costs

This page contains advertising (PR). The link to Hachi 110ban (ハチ110番) is an affiliate link, and we may earn a commission. Hachi 110ban’s page and form are in Japanese only (see section 4).

This page is general information from official sources. It is not medical or legal advice. If you are stung and feel unwell, call 119. For your own case, ask your city office or a doctor.

If you find a wasp or hornet nest under your eaves, on the balcony or in a garden tree, you need to know who to call. This page covers Fukuoka and Kumamoto. It explains why you should not remove a nest yourself, what the city offices do and do not do, what to do if you rent, what a private company costs, and what to do if someone is stung.

In short

Stay away from the nest. Kitakyushu City and Kumamoto City say removing a nest yourself is dangerous and advise using a professional company (section 1).
Fukuoka City, Kitakyushu City, Itoshima City, Kumamoto City and Koshi City do not remove nests on private land. Kitakyushu City says it gives no subsidy for removal either (section 2).
If you rent, contact your property manager or landlord before you call a company (section 3).
Hachi 110ban lists removal from ¥12,100 (bees and paper wasps) or ¥16,500 (hornets), tax and travel fee included. These are minimum prices. It takes Japanese only (section 4).
If someone is stung and has trouble breathing, call 119. If you are not sure, call #7119 (section 5).

Checked with official pages on October 6, 2026.

PR · Ad / affiliate link. The button goes to Hachi 110ban’s request page. The page and form are in Japanese only (see section 4).

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Option	What happens	Cost	Fits when
Remove it yourself	Cities advise against it	Equipment	Not recommended
City office	Advice only; no removal on private land	Free	You are not sure what it is
Property manager	Handles the building (rentals)	Depends on your contract	You rent
Private company	Survey, quote, removal	Paid	You own the home, or want it gone fast

1. Why should I not remove a nest myself?

Fukuoka City / Kitakyushu City / Kumamoto City

Fukuoka City says hornets (スズメバチ, suzumebachi) are active from May to November. From July to October their nests grow and the number of worker wasps rises. If a wasp comes near you, the city says to stay calm, not provoke it and move away. If you find a nest on your property, the city says to ask a professional company to remove it early, and that this is a paid service.

Kumamoto City says nests are about 8 to 10 cm in May and June, when a single queen builds them. By autumn a nest can reach 30 to 50 cm across, with up to 300 wasps, and the number of wasps is highest in September and October. Kitakyushu City says the Japanese yellow hornet (キイロスズメバチ), common in residential areas, is very aggressive. From late August to mid-October it may attack when you come within about 10 meters of the nest.

Kitakyushu City says that removing a nest is dangerous, so use a professional company if you can, and that removing hornets yourself is especially dangerous. Do not hit the nest with a stick, throw stones or shout near it. Kitakyushu City also says wasps are drawn to black colors, and that perfume can provoke them.

2. What does my city office do?

The city offices answer questions and give advice. In the cities below, none of them removes nests on private land.

City	Removes nests on private land?	Where to ask	Also
Fukuoka City	No	Your ward office	Ask if you cannot tell what it is
Kitakyushu City	No; no subsidy	093-522-5321	Does not recommend a company
Itoshima City	No	Not stated	Find a company yourself
Kumamoto City	No, in principle	Ward office (環境班)	Use a private company
Koshi City	No	City hall, 096-248-1111	Free protective suit loan

2.1 Fukuoka City

Fukuoka City

Fukuoka City ward offices do not remove wasps or nests, but you can ask your ward office if you cannot tell what kind of nest it is. The Sawara Ward page says some species are dangerous to remove yourself, so ask the ward office if you are unsure. It also helps you tell nests apart. A hornet nest has a distinctive pattern, a paper wasp nest shows many hexagonal holes, and a cluster of honeybees on a tree is a temporary resting place that goes away in a few days, it says. Phone numbers for the ward offices are on each ward’s website. The Central Ward Environment and Living Division (中央区生活環境課) is listed at 092-718-1092 in the city’s newsletter.

2.2 Kitakyushu City

Kitakyushu City

Kitakyushu City says it does not remove nests and gives no subsidy for removal. The owner or manager of the land is responsible. The city does not recommend a particular company. It says prices differ, so get quotes from several companies. The Sanitary Pest Consultation Center (衛生害虫相談センター) answers questions on 093-522-5321, Monday to Friday, 8:30 to 17:15.

2.3 Itoshima City

Itoshima City

Itoshima City does not remove nests on private land. It does not remove pests or introduce companies either, so you need to find a private company yourself.

2.4 Kumamoto City

Kumamoto City

Kumamoto City says that, in principle, it does not remove hornets and similar wasps. The city says removing a large nest is especially dangerous and advises using a private company. It suggests telling the company the size and place of the nest and getting quotes from several companies. For questions, call the General Planning Division of your ward office (総務企画課環境班), for example the Chuo Ward office at 096-328-2610, or the Kumamoto City Public Health Center (保健所) Living Hygiene Division at 096-364-3187.

The city also warns that some companies send very high bills for nest removal. Check the work and the price before the work starts, and do not pay if you cannot accept the bill. Call the consumer hotline 188 or the Kumamoto City Consumer Center (096-353-2500, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00, closed on holidays and at New Year).

2.5 Koshi City

Koshi City

Koshi City does not remove wasps or nests on private land. You can remove them yourself or use a company at your own cost. People registered as residents of Koshi City can borrow a protective suit for free from the Environmental Health Division (環境衛生課) at city hall (096-248-1111). The city says to get quotes from several companies and suggests asking the Koshi Chamber of Commerce, the Kumamoto Pest Control Association or the Kumamoto Insect Disinfection Cooperative about registered companies. Other cities may have different rules, so ask your own city or town office.

3. What if I rent?

Official advice (Japan)

If you rent, contact your property manager or landlord before you call a company. Itoshima City says rental homes are a matter for the property management company or landlord. The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan (国民生活センター) also says that, for a rental home, it can help to ask the manager or landlord before you contact a company.

4. How much does Hachi 110ban cost, and can I use it in English?

Depends on the provider

Hachi 110ban (ハチ110番) is a contact service run by Sharing Technology Inc. (シェアリングテクノロジー株式会社). It passes your request to member companies, which do the survey and removal. Its page, the request form and the terms of use are written in Japanese, and the page does not say whether staff speak English. If you cannot read Japanese, ask a Japanese-speaking friend or coworker to help you, or use a translation app on the form.

Wasp type	Removal price	Note
Honeybee (ミツバチ)	From ¥12,100	Tax and travel fee included
Paper wasp (アシナガバチ)	From ¥12,100	Tax and travel fee included
Hornet (スズメバチ)	From ¥16,500	Tax and travel fee included

These are starting prices. Hachi 110ban says that some areas and member companies cannot offer the listed price, and that extra fees may apply if the nest is hard to find, hard to reach or high up. The final price is set by the quote at your home. You can choose Fukuoka and Kumamoto on the form, but whether your address is covered depends on the member company, so give your address when you ask. Hachi 110ban says it takes requests 24 hours a day, every day. Payment is by credit card or cash, and fees or card limits may apply in some areas.

Send your request. Use the form (it asks for your phone number).
A member company comes to check. It looks at the damage and the type of wasp. Hachi 110ban says the survey and quote are free, but notes that a fee may apply depending on the area, company or site, so ask first.
Get a quote. Hachi 110ban says it does not add charges to the quoted price and that you can cancel at this point without a fee.
Removal. Staff come on the day and remove the nest.
Pay after the work. Some member companies ask for payment before the work.

The terms of use say Hachi 110ban itself is free to use. Your contract is directly with the member company, so you cancel or end it by contacting that company. Hachi 110ban is one of several ways to find a company. The cities above say you can also search yourself and compare quotes.

Important

Before the work, check the total price, the name of the company that will come, the cancellation fee and any extra charges. The National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan says an advertised “from ¥X” price does not mean the work will cost that much, because the price depends on the size of the home and the situation. It says not to sign when a company stirs up your fear, and not to pay on the spot if you do not agree. If the final bill is far from the quote, the cooling-off rule may apply. Call the consumer hotline 188 to be connected to a local consumer center.

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5. What if someone is stung?

Kitakyushu City / Kumamoto City / Fukuoka Prefecture

If the person has trouble breathing, a pale face, hives all over the body, nausea or severe chills after a sting, get medical treatment at once. Kitakyushu City calls these shock symptoms and says to call an ambulance or take the person to a hospital. Kumamoto City also says to see a doctor right away for symptoms such as vomiting, dizziness or difficulty breathing.

For other stings, Kitakyushu City gives these steps:

Move away from the nest.
Wash the wound well with running water. Squeeze out the venom.
Apply an antihistamine ointment.
Cool the area with a wet towel and rest.
See a doctor if you feel worse.

5.1 Not sure whether to go to the hospital?

Call the emergency medical advice line #7119. A nurse gives advice on how urgent it is and tells you which clinic or hospital to go to. Fukuoka Prefecture and Kumamoto Prefecture do not say which languages the advisors speak, so it may be Japanese only.

Fukuoka Prefecture: #7119, 24 hours a day, every day. If your phone cannot dial #7119, call 092-471-0099 and press 2 for medical advice when the recorded message (in Japanese) plays. For severe signs such as sudden shortness of breath, the prefecture says to call 119 without hesitation.
Kumamoto Prefecture: #7119, 24 hours a day, every day. If your phone cannot dial #7119, call 03-6456-3290. The advice is free, but you pay for the call. Kumamoto City says it is for people aged about 15 and over, and that children under 15 should use #8000.

5.2 Can I get help in English?

Fukuoka City

Fukuoka City Fire Bureau says that if you cannot speak Japanese you do not need to worry, because it has interpreters. Dial 119, say your language, wait on the line through the Japanese hold message and answer the interpreter’s questions. It asks you to give the address first. At a clinic or hospital in Fukuoka City, the Fukuoka City Medical Interpreting Call Center (福岡市医療通訳コールセンター) interprets by phone in 20 languages including English, 24 hours a day, every day. Call 092-733-5429. It is free, but you pay for the call. See also Emergency care in Fukuoka City and Help in your language in Fukuoka City.

Kumamoto City

The Kumamoto City Fire Bureau has videos on how to call an ambulance in 12 languages, including English. For clinics open after hours, see Seeing a doctor in Kumamoto at night or on a holiday.

Common questions

A cluster of bees is hanging on a tree. Do I need removal?

Fukuoka City’s Sawara Ward says a cluster of honeybees is a temporary resting place that is gone in a few days. Koshi City says it lasts from a few hours to about three days. Kitakyushu City says swarming bees are very gentle and rarely sting, but they sometimes make a nest where they settle, and they may attack in a group if poked.

Should I remove an old nest in winter?

Kitakyushu City says a hornet nest is used for one season only, and the wasps do not come back to an old nest. The worker wasps die from late October to late November, and only the new queens survive the winter.

Does the city pay for removal?

Kitakyushu City says it does not give a subsidy. Fukuoka City, Itoshima City, Kumamoto City and Koshi City say they do not remove nests on private land. Koshi City says private removal is at your own cost. The pages we checked do not mention a subsidy.

Next steps

Find out who owns or manages the place where the nest is, and ask your manager or landlord first if you rent (section 3).
Ask your city office what kind of nest it is if you are not sure (section 2).
Get a quote and check the total price before you agree (section 4).

Found a wasp or hornet nest in Fukuoka or Kumamoto: who to call, what the city does and what removal costs

1. Why should I not remove a nest myself?