Wasp nest by front door - any advice ? (2 Viewers)

[tuftyhill]

I found tonight we have a wasps nest in our garden by our front door.
I noticed quite a lot going in and out at the base of a plant. I can't see the nest entrance.
Rang a few pest control people up and they quoted around the £40 - £50 mark.
Has anyone else any advice for us.

 

[harry eales]

I found tonight we have a wasps nest in our garden by our front door.
I noticed quite a lot going in and out at the base of a plant. I can't see the nest entrance.
Rang a few pest control people up and they quoted around the £40 - £50 mark.
Has anyone else any advice for us.

Hello Tufty,

Please leave them alone. The wasps breeding season is nearly over and new Queens will be emerging soon. After that the colony will rapidly go into decline and die out. The Queens will hibernate in some dead tree or other site to continue the next generation next spring.

Although you have just noticed them, they will have been there for several months gradually building up in numbers. If you leave them alone they won't bother you. In fact they do a lot of good in the garden in the way of pest control. I have a Wasp nest in my garden shed which is quite large and although I am in and out of the shed several times each week they haven't threatened me or stung me once.

Contrary to popular opinion wasps do not attack unless you are a threat to them. It seems a shame to destroy something through an irrational fear which, in all honesty, had no real basis in truth.

Once the colony has died out and wasps are no longer seen, simply block the hole up and you won't be bothered next year.

Harry

 

[Ruby]

Hi Tufty,

I'd second the comments made by Harry....

For some reason, our house seems to be particularly attractive to wasps, and most years we have a nest in the loft or behind the tile-hung elevations. We don't bother them and they're not much of a problem to us - I've been round to other people's houses in the area for barbies etc, and they have just as many wasps pestering them as we do...


Hope all goes well.... Ruby

 

[scampo]

Harry's right. You've had such nests before but never noticed them. We've found them empty before now in bushes we've pruned. They'll be gone soon. Wasps are much maligned creatures!

 

[Karl J]

Interesting .... a friend of mine had a hanging nest ''suddenly appear'' in her garage (shows how often she goes in there !) this year.

In all honesty i don't know much about them, but so far .... i've convinced her to leave it as it is. Hoping to get some photo's when they've gone but not too sure about doing that.

Will they eventually all leave the nest (or die ?) or do some stay the winter ? And will the nest be re-used next year ?

 

[scampo]

None will survive except the queen - who leaves the nest and finds a spot to hibernate over the winter (pregnant, I think!).

 

[harry eales]

Interesting .... a friend of mine had a hanging nest ''suddenly appear'' in her garage (shows how often she goes in there !) this year.

In all honesty i don't know much about them, but so far .... i've convinced her to leave it as it is. Hoping to get some photo's when they've gone but not too sure about doing that.

Will they eventually all leave the nest (or die ?) or do some stay the winter ? And will the nest be re-used next year ?

Hello Carlos,

Social Wasps nests are only used for one season and when the colony dies off in the autumn they tend to slowly disintegrate in the damp winter weather. Being made of paper (chewed wood) they don't last very long.

It would be of interest once the nest is abandoned to remove the nest intact and section it with a long bladed, very sharp knife, the internal construction is amazing and would provide a good photographic study. If your friend doesn't want nests next year she should find out how they are accessing the garage, and then during the winter, block off the access point.

At the end of the breeding season all the workers and male wasps will die off, usually away from the nest, should any die within the nest, the remaining living wasps will remove them. Only the new queen wasps will hibernate to seek out new breeding sites next year.

Harry

 

[tuftyhill]

Thanks for all the replies, I must admit I do get a bit panicky when wasps are around me, I know they have as much right to use our garden as we do.
I was just worried about our two-yr old, who occasionally does play in the front garden when we're washing the car / gardening etc. I have heard stories of the nests being disturbed and great swarms of wasps coming out (obviously to protect their Queen) and stinging the nearest threat.

I'll hopefully be able to leave it alone and keep my little lad well away.

Thanks again

 

[harry eales]

Thanks for all the replies, I must admit I do get a bit panicky when wasps are around me, I know they have as much right to use our garden as we do.
I was just worried about our two-yr old, who occasionally does play in the front garden when we're washing the car / gardening etc. I have heard stories of the nests being disturbed and great swarms of wasps coming out (obviously to protect their Queen) and stinging the nearest threat.

I'll hopefully be able to leave it alone and keep my little lad well away.

Thanks again

Me again Tufty,

I doubt very much that this is commonplace, when it occasionally happens it gets lots of publicity and frightens people who do not understand the habits of these insects.

Most underground wasps nests are dealt with by putting a strong insecticide into the entrance hole completely blocking it for several inches. This means all wasps entering or leaving the nest are completely coated with the poison. They fly around for some time before expiring and wherever they die there is a lump of fairly potent poison. This is potentially dangerous to small mammals and probably birds as well, not to mention your child who may accidentally pick one up.

I think it's better to leave them alone and if you are worried about disturbing them whilst washing the car, move it out onto the road or use the local car wash. If gardening don't weed or hoe near the entrance to the nest. As Scampo has said, many people never realise they have a nest in their garden and go about their gardening in complete ignorance of their presence.

Harry

 

[scampo]

I know they have as much right to use our garden as we do...

They don't have any rights at all. You can squash them with impunity. But you might like to let them see this year out as they live such a little time; they're such transitory things.

I might be wrong but I think it is bees that swarm in the way you describe, not wasps. But I understand your fears although a wasp sting is, for the vast majority of folk, nothing much at all. That said, I don't like them near me! But... as I said, the chances are very high indeed that you've had a wasp nest near to you several times before and not realised it. Harry's idea to cut open the nest in winter is a good one - you'll be amazed at its beauty.

 

[Karl J]

... It would be of interest once the nest is abandoned to remove the nest intact and section it with a long bladed, very sharp knife, the internal construction is amazing and would provide a good photographic study ...
Harry

Yes that's the sort of thing i had in mind, i think it'd be fascinating ... BUT ... having never done that before i am a little apprehensive.

How do i know there aren't any live ones still inside ?

BTW ... Good thread Tufty

 

[harry eales]

Yes that's the sort of thing i had in mind, i think it'd be fascinating ... BUT ... having never done that before i am a little apprehensive.

How do i know there aren't any live ones still inside ?

BTW ... Good thread Tufty

Hi Carlos,
If you wait until after the first hard frost you will be safe enough, as any specimens that may possibly still alive will be killed off by the low temperature. It should in fact be safe by the end of October. If you are still unsure just watch the nest, if no specimens are seen in half an hour you will be safe. Handle the nest carefully when you remove it, they are quite fragile. It is quite possible that there may be one or two grubs in the nest but they are harmless and most probably will be dead as well.

Once the new Queens are raised the queen wasp lays no more eggs and dies off. The usual life span for a worker wasp is just three weeks, the males never return to the nest once they have left it.

Harry.

 

[Karl J]

Thanks for that Harry. Providing it all goes to plan i'll put some up on here

 

[Rob Smallwood]

Wasp nest by front door - any advice ?

Use the back door?

 

[tuftyhill]

I was outside last night chatting with my Father-in-law and the wasps were just flying between us into the nest and out again, normally I'd be running round the garden screaming like a banshee, but I think I have calmed down a bit since reading all the posts.
I'll dig the nest out carefully probably in November (just to be sure) and if it comes out in one piece I'll take some piccies post a couple of photo's of it on here.

 

[harry eales]

I was outside last night chatting with my Father-in-law and the wasps were just flying between us into the nest and out again, normally I'd be running round the garden screaming like a banshee, but I think I have calmed down a bit since reading all the posts.
I'll dig the nest out carefully probably in November (just to be sure) and if it comes out in one piece I'll take some piccies post a couple of photo's of it on here.

There you go Tufty, a little knowledge about the 'Uggknown', and your fear is conquered. Well done that man.

Harry

 

[StueyD]

Hi Harry,

I too have found a wasps nest - in my garage loft.
I'm happy enought to wait for winter and then block up the hole they're getting through.
What i'm concerned about though is will the queen find a new location to hibernate in or could I find her lurking around hibernating in one of my boxes in the loft?

Many thanks.

Stu.

 

[harry eales]

Hi Harry,

I too have found a wasps nest - in my garage loft.
I'm happy enought to wait for winter and then block up the hole they're getting through.
What i'm concerned about though is will the queen find a new location to hibernate in or could I find her lurking around hibernating in one of my boxes in the loft?

Many thanks.

Stu.

Hello Stu,
The Queen that founded the nest in your garage will die off naturally this year. The new Queens raised in the nest this year will leave the nest and the garage in order to mate. It is unlikely they will return to the garage, but will disperse into the surrounding area.

In my own experience you don't get social wasps returning to the same site year after year, so hopefully you'll be alright next year. Just block up the access hole in say late November by then all the wasps will (except for the hibernating new queens) will have died off.

Harry

 

[pauco]

Hi Harry.
I would just like to say thanks for a very informative thread, your information has been a eye opener for me. wasps were the only thing apart from spiders i would run a mile from :eek!: so no more panic!!
bert.

 

[harry eales]

Hi Harry.
I would just like to say thanks for a very informative thread, your information has been a eye opener for me. wasps were the only thing apart from spiders i would run a mile from :eek!: so no more panic!!
bert.

Hi Bert,
I'm glad to have calmed your nerves as far as wasps are concerned, but please don't mention

///\\\@@///\\\ 's. The lady members might get frightened. lol. :-O

Harry