Snake or Bee Nest at Home in Taipei, New Taipei: 1999 or 119

In Taipei, if a snake or a bee or wasp nest appears in your home or community, call 1999 and ask the operator to transfer you to the animal protection office's bee and snake catching line (捕蜂捉蛇專線); in New Taipei, bee and snake catching is handled by the animal protection office, and you can call 1999 or the office's 24-hour reporting line, 02-2959-6353. If you have already been bitten by a snake or stung by a bee or wasp, or someone has trouble breathing or is confused or losing consciousness, call 119 directly to get to a hospital. While you wait, do not disturb or drive them away, and do not try to remove the nest yourself.

Reminder: Do not spray a nest with insecticide, do not poke it with a pole, and do not catch a snake with bare hands. If bitten by a venomous snake, do not cut the wound, do not suck it with your mouth, and do not apply ice; remember what the snake looks like and get to a hospital as soon as possible, so the hospital can decide which antivenom to use. The reporting channels and division of duties follow the latest announcements of the Taipei animal protection office and the New Taipei animal protection office.

Reporting channels and division of duties in Taipei and New Taipei

The Taipei City Government FAQs "What should I do about a snake at home?" and "What should I do about bees or a bee nest at home?" (both pages updated 2025-07-09) read the same: do not disturb or drive them away; call 1999 and tell the operator to transfer you to the animal protection office's bee and snake catching line, so that staff can be sent promptly to inspect and handle it. The New Taipei animal protection office states in several press releases a 24-hour reporting line, 02-2959-6353, or 1999.

Can you report to 119? The current Taipei FAQ (2025-07-09) only says to call 1999 for transfer to the bee and snake catching line and does not list 119; the New Taipei animal protection office reminds people that if stung by hornets, they should flee as soon as possible and call 119 to get to a nearby hospital. The principle this article draws: if nobody is hurt yet, call 1999 or the animal protection office's line; if someone is already hurt or has allergic symptoms, call 119. For the differences between the numbers, see What is the difference between 110, 119, 112, 113, 165, and 1955 and What can the 1999 citizen hotline do.

When you report, have this information ready first and staff will come faster: the address and floor, the exact location of the snake or nest (for example, "under the AC outdoor unit" or "bathroom floor drain"), its size or length, whether anyone is hurt, and whether there are children or pets at the scene.

What to do while waiting for handlers

If you meet a snake:

• Taipei: do not disturb or drive it away; call 1999 for transfer.
• New Taipei animal protection office: do not casually try to catch the snake yourself, because it may be startled and attack; keep your distance. Also do not casually harass or keep it, to avoid violating the wildlife conservation law (野生動物保育法).
• This article's suggestion: when a snake is indoors, move people and pets out of that room, close the door, stuff a towel into the gap under the door, and keep track of its position from outside the door, so that handlers can find it when they arrive.

If you meet bees, wasps, or a nest:

• Taipei: do not disturb or drive them away; call 1999 for transfer.
• New Taipei animal protection office: do not handle it yourself without proper equipment; if you find a nest, do not swat at it or wave to drive them away; when handlers are working, do not go near, and do not wave your arms or run, so as not to provoke the hornets into attacking.
• Outdoors, if 1 or 2 guard bees (警戒蜂) circle around you, the New Taipei animal protection office recommends leaving immediately, and not advancing or continuing your work.
• This article's suggestion: when a nest is outside a window or on a balcony, shut the doors and windows on that side tightly, temporarily do not open the windows beside the AC outdoor unit, and do not dry laundry near the nest.

What to do if you are bitten or stung

A reminder issued by the Taiwan CDC on March 27, 2025 asks the public to remember the "five dos and five don'ts" (五要五不):

The Taiwan CDC says nearly 1,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes each year, and the more common venomous snakes in Taiwan are the 龜殼花, the 赤尾鮐 (赤尾青竹絲), the 百步蛇, the 飯匙倩 (cobra, 眼鏡蛇), the 雨傘節, and the 鎖鏈蛇. Treatment is an injection of antivenom, and the Taiwan CDC keeps serum at more than 190 medical facilities nationwide; antivenom is a doctor-prescribed drug, and you can first use the Taiwan CDC's antivenom stockpile locations lookup (抗蛇毒血清儲備點查詢) to find nearby hospitals that keep stock; do not buy medicines of unknown origin. Taiwan CDC epidemic prevention hotline: 1922.

If stung by hornets: the New Taipei animal protection office recommends fleeing the scene as soon as possible, then calling 119 to get to a nearby hospital, to gain time for rescue. This article found no official Taipei or New Taipei details on at-home first aid for stings; if after a sting you get a rash over your body, a tight throat, difficulty breathing, or dizziness, that is an emergency, so do not wait.

Which seasons are busiest, and which kinds are common

• Hornets: The New Taipei animal protection office says that from after Tomb Sweeping Day (清明節) until November is the busy season when hornets build nests frequently; in 2024, bee cases peaked from June to August. The office's April 2024 press release also mentions that nest cases higher than the 2nd floor reached 4,000, with the most reports from July to September, and that a hornet nest has been seen outside a 14th-floor window of a high-rise in an urban area. The three common kinds in New Taipei are the yellow-waisted hornet (黃腰虎頭蜂), the yellow-legged hornet (黃腳虎頭蜂), and the black-bellied hornet (黑腹虎頭蜂); the black-bellied hornet is aggressive and often builds nests at treetops and high on eaves.
• Snakes: The Taipei animal protection office said in its 2020 outreach that snake reports increase after temperatures rise in April each year, and that May to August is the peak. In New Taipei in 2023, the top three snakes in capture reports were, in order, the 龜殼花, the 紅斑蛇, and the 臭青母; the most reported, the 龜殼花, is a venomous snake of the pit viper family (蝮蛇科) common at low elevations.

The New Taipei animal protection office and National Taiwan University's Department of Entomology built the "New Taipei hornet hotspot website" (新北虎頭蜂熱點網站), where you can look up historical nest-building and sting hotspots.

How to keep snakes and bees away from your home

• The Taipei animal protection office recommends regularly cleaning the home environment and avoiding piles of clutter and kitchen waste, to reduce snakes moving in; the New Taipei animal protection office says the best way to prevent snakes entering a home is to keep the environment tidy and the surroundings clean and bright.
• The New Taipei animal protection office mentions that hornets build nests under air conditioners on the outer walls of homes. Take a look around the AC outdoor unit regularly, and confirm it when you inspect the bracket; for the method see How to check a rusting AC outdoor unit bracket.
• This article's suggestion: do not leave cardboard boxes and old furniture on balconies and rooftops for long; fit insect mesh on drain holes and pipe and wiring openings; deal with kitchen waste the same day (for how to sort it see How to sort kitchen waste); with fewer rats, fewer snakes will come looking for food.
• When hiking in the hills or weeding: wear long sleeves, long pants, and closed shoes, and "beat the grass to startle the snakes" with a wooden stick or an umbrella; choose light-colored clothes and hats with a smooth surface, and avoid dark, rough clothing (New Taipei and Taipei animal protection offices).

FAQ

Do I have to pay for bee and snake catching?

The official Taipei and New Taipei pages this article found do not mention any fee; after you report, the animal protection office or its commissioned staff handle it. If a company claims to be "commissioned by the government" but asks for payment, call 1999 or the animal protection office first to confirm.

The snake has already gone. Should I still report it?

You can still report it, so that handlers can decide whether a search is needed. The principle in the Taipei FAQ is to call 1999 for transfer whenever you meet a snake, so that staff can be sent promptly to inspect.

The nest is small. Can I remove it myself?

Neither city's officials recommend it. The New Taipei animal protection office explicitly urges people not to handle it themselves without proper equipment and knowledge; hornet nests are mostly spherical and earthy yellow, with a wavy pattern on the surface; report anything that might be a nest, to avoid misjudging it and getting stung.

Do I have to take a photo if I am bitten by a snake?

The Taiwan CDC's "five dos" include remembering the snake's appearance. Taking a photo safely certainly helps, but do not delay medical care for the sake of photographing or catching the snake, and do not risk going near it again.

Last updated: 2026-10-31

This article was compiled by SOSfix editors from public information and is for general reference only. For your own case, contact the Taipei animal protection office (call 1999 for transfer) or the New Taipei animal protection and disease control office (02-2959-6353); if someone is hurt, call 119.

Sources

• Taipei animal protection office: What should I do about a snake at home? (updated 2025-07-09, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): do not disturb or drive it away; call 1999 for transfer to the bee and snake catching line.
• Taipei City Government: What should I do about bees or a bee nest at home? (published 2025-07-09, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): do not disturb or drive them away; call 1999 for transfer; the page footer states that 1999 is a 24-hour toll-free line and that from other counties and cities you call 02-27208889.
• Taipei animal protection office: briefing on snake prevention, the animal protection office teaches you not to fear snakes (published 2020-05-30, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): reports increase from April, May to August peak at over 200 per month, keeping the environment clean and avoiding piles of clutter and kitchen waste, beating the grass to startle snakes (2020 data; the current reporting method follows the FAQs above).
• New Taipei City Government: World Day for Safety and Health at Work, safety first in bee and snake catching (published 2021-04-28, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): the animal protection office has handled bee and snake catching since 2018, the three common hornet kinds, the most reported snake, do not go near during handling, the 24-hour line 02-29596353 or 1999.
• New Taipei City Government: World Day for Safety and Health at Work, New Taipei uses drones to remove bees safely at low risk (published 2024-04-27, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): nearly 9,000 bee removals and over 3,000 snake catches each year, 4,000 cases above the 2nd floor with the most from July to September, nests outside 14th-floor walls and under air conditioners, a tidy and bright environment.
• New Taipei City Government: startled by a snake in the toilet, New Taipei animal protection officers quickly catch it (published 2024-03-28, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): 3,650 snake-catching cases in 2023, the top three being 龜殼花, 紅斑蛇, and 臭青母, do not catch snakes yourself, a reminder about the wildlife conservation law.
• New Taipei City Government: New Taipei animal protection office holds training to promote workplace safety (published 2025-05-05, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): bee and snake catching cases close to 10,000 or more each year.
• New Taipei City Government: many hornet sting accidents, New Taipei animal protection office and NTU build a hotspot map to guard against hornets (published 2025-07-21, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): 7,916 bee cases in 2024, 3,715 hornets, most from June to August, the hotspot website, leaving when guard bees appear, light-colored smooth clothing, call 119 if stung, the busy season from after Tomb Sweeping Day to November, what a nest looks like, 1999 or 1959.
• New Taipei City Government: new bee-catching equipment, the New Taipei animal protection office upgrades its bee-catching capability (published 2022-03-17, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): do not remove nests around your home yourself; report to 1999 or 2959-6353.
• Government e-Procurement System (政府電子採購網): tender notice for Taipei's 2026 bee and snake catching service procurement (notice date 2025-12-23, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): handled on behalf of the requesting agency, the Taipei animal protection office, by the Public Works Department of the Taipei City Government; a budget of NT$17,062,000; performance through December 31, 2026; bidders' business items must include vector control operations and others.
• Taiwan CDC, Ministry of Health and Welfare: no need to panic when snakes come and go, the five dos and five don'ts keep you safe (published 2025-03-27, verified 2026-10-31) (in Chinese): the five dos and five don'ts, nearly 1,000 people bitten each year, common venomous snake kinds, serum stocked at more than 190 medical facilities, the stockpile locations lookup, epidemic prevention hotline 1922.

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