Do Wasps Return to the Same Nest Every Year? A Guide for Alwoodley Gardens
Hedges, shrubs and trees can hide a wasp nest all summer. The leaf fall of autumn reveals them, and it is also the right time to decide what to prune.
Leaf fall and the nest in the hedge
As the leaves drop in November, a gardener trimming the back hedge pauses at a grey, ball-shaped structure the size of a grapefruit hanging in the branches. It was there all summer, hidden by foliage, a few feet from where the washing line runs.
Like any wasp nest it is finished for the year. The colony that built it died as the cold arrived, and nothing will return to it. This is the moment when the garden gives up its secrets, and it is a good time to think about next year.
It is easy to feel a little uneasy at the sight of it, especially if the family spent the summer in the garden. That feeling is understandable, and the right response is a calm one: look, learn and plan.
If the nest is close to the house, take a photograph from the same spot you will use next year, so that you can compare the two views when the leaves are back.
Why a bush or tree?
Queens choose sites that offer shelter and cover. A dense hedge, a mature shrub or the fork of a tree can have both. A nest hung in the branches is shaded from rain, hidden from view and held in place by the twigs.
The nest itself is a ball of papery material, made of chewed wood fibre. Because the leaves hide it, many people only notice it when wasps begin to cross the path or when trimming starts.
Common features of nests in plants:
- Sometimes close to the ground, sometimes higher in a tree.
- Usually in dense or tangled growth.
- Often close to a wall or fence, which gives extra shelter.
- Not always visible until the leaves fall.
Because a nest in a plant is often at eye level or below, children and pets are more likely to disturb it by accident than a nest high in the eaves. A quiet look along the base of hedges before the family uses the garden in early summer is a sensible habit.
Do wasps come back to the same hedge?
The colony does not. A new queen may, though, choose the same hedge, simply because it offers the right conditions. If you see nests in the same hedge in different years, each one is still a new nest built by a different queen.
You cannot remove the attraction by cutting out the old nest. What you can do is make the plant less of a hiding place.
What the nest can tell you before you bin it
A deserted nest in a plant is worth a quick look from a distance before it goes. It shows you how close the colony was to the places you use, and that is a good guide to where you should be watchful next year.
- Was it near the washing line, a gate, a path or a play area? If so, those are the places to monitor first.
- Was it on the boundary? A nest on the line between two gardens is something to mention to the neighbour.
- Was the hedge dense at that point? That is the part to thin.
- Were there other signs, such as wasps feeding at a nearby bin or compost heap? That might be worth tidying.
None of this needs measuring or recording in detail. A couple of photographs and a few notes on your phone are enough to give next spring’s check a starting point.
If the nest is tucked deep inside the plant and cannot be reached without damaging it, leave it. It poses no harm once the winter has set in, and it will rot down over time.
Autumn and winter pruning
Do not prune while there is any sign of life at a nest. In deep winter, with the colony long dead, you can work more freely, though it is still sensible to look before you cut.
- Check any nest for activity before approaching. If you see a wasp, back away.
- Thin dense growth so that light and air reach the middle of the hedge.
- Open up the base of the hedge and the point where it meets a fence or wall.
- Remove dead wood and tangled stems where nests tend to hang.
- Bag the cuttings, and leave any attached nest where it is if it is hard to reach.
A more open plant is easier to inspect from spring onwards. You will also be more likely to spot a queen if she does start work.
If you have a mixed boundary of hedge, fence and shrubs, treat each stretch separately, since wasps may favour one part and ignore the rest.
Spring watch and the plan for a live nest
From late April, depending on the weather, take a moment each week to look along the hedge. Look for a wasp flying in and out of the same patch of foliage. A small early nest in a bush can be hard to see, so watch the wasp rather than the leaves.
Do not cut into a hedge where wasps are active. Disturbing the branches can bring a stream of wasps out.
For a nest in a hedge, shrub or tree the charge is a flat £90, plus £35 if there is a second nest at the same property, and there is no call-out fee. You hear the price on the phone first and nothing starts until you have agreed. The team covers Alwoodley, a suburb of Leeds, and neighbouring areas for homes and businesses, open every day, with same-day visits on offer. To book, ring 0113 347 0014 or fill in the form on the contact page.
If anyone using the garden is allergic to stings, tell us at booking.
Keep a mental note of the nest’s position for next year and look at the same spot each week once the weather warms. A queen will not be reusing the paper, but she may well be interested in the shelter the plant gives, so the routine pays for itself.
Wasps on your property in Alwoodley?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.