Wasps' nest in the flower bed

Was visiting a friend this summer who had thousands of wasps last year all attracted to her fruit trees. This year she bought fake wasp nests that she hung in her garden and I only saw two wasps (or possibly the same one twice) during the height of wasp season. Wasps avoid other colonies of wasps so no wasp is harmed. I've just bought some myself for my garden.

The caretaker (at the college where I worked) thought he could easily deal with a wasp nest in the outside wall of the building.

He quickly trowelled a large glob of cement over the entrance. Unfortunately, he did so at lunchtime, when the wasps and students were outside - and the windows were open.

Hundreds of confused and angry wasps covered the building and flew inside. Everyone had to go home!

leave them alone. they soon be gone.they not doing you any harm..

Hetty flowering (tiny flowers) so they are after the nectar

Yes, I'm sure you're right. My shrub is also smothered in tiny flowers, but I never thought of that - doh!

If they are causing no problem then it's best to leave them alone. A nest in the ground can be covered with a large heap of grass clippings (at night) and that will suffocate them.

Squiffy, I have a hedge covered in flies and wasps atm. On close inspection, I realised that it's flowering (tiny flowers) so they are after the nectar. I'll have to wait to prune it!

Yes wasps only use the nest for one season They are beautifully made really beautiful My daughters scared of them so I went up in her loft to get it down a couple of years ago It was empty by then and a true wonder to look at She thinks this year she has one in the wall over her bedroom window I ve managed to talk her into leaving it alone They will all be gone in a month or so and they aren’t going into her room or anything
If at all possible just leave alone they will be gone soon

Our Council (Manchester) dealt with ours very quickly and efficiently for £61.00.

The local pest control company would have charged £180.00.

Try your Council first

I felt no guilt, we were having the house painted and I worried the decorator would get stung.

In that case there wasn't much else you could do. If it had been further away it might have been possible to ignore it but not if it was that close to the house.

I have had no choice but to get someone in to remove it as the live-in carer is phobic about wasps and it is causing no end of trouble as it is near the kitchen windows. The wasps are in and out of the house and carer goes quietly hysterical.

I’m pretty sure that we have one in one of our shrubs, judging by the amount of wasp activity. I’m very cautious when I go near it, but will leave it there until winter. There are also lots of flies, so at one time I wondered if an animal or bird had died in the shrub, but I couldn’t see anything - not that I hung around too long!

I didn’t realise wasps only use a nest once Minimoon!

Have you had difficulties with the wasps in general luckygirl?

We found a beautifully built nest 5 or 6 inches across in the foliage beside our front door. We only found it because we were intending to cut down said foliage. The wasps weren't taking any notice of us so we decided to leave them until the winter. We haven't seen much of them and think they may have been washed out by all the rain.

Wasps used to nest in the roof of our porch, too. Although you could see them coming and going, they never bothered us at all and were far more interested in getting on with their own business.

I would leave it alone. We need all our pollinators.

Wasp nests last for one season only, this season starts in the spring around April and ends in the autumn/winter. Each nest varies depending upon location and conditions. A wasp nest is never never used again, once it has died off at the end of the year.