Can You Remove a Wasp Nest Yourself? Advice for Pool-in-Wharfedale Homeowners
The most common mistake with a ground nest is running the mower over it; this guide explains how to spot one and what to do instead.
The mistake: finding the nest with the mower
The commonest way people find a wasp nest in the ground is by running a lawnmower or strimmer over the entrance. Without any warning, a column of wasps boils out of what looked like a patch of grass, and the person with the machine is the first and best target. The next most common method is digging a flower bed or a post hole.
If you live in Pool-in-Wharfedale and have seen wasps coming and going from a small hole in the lawn, a border or a bank, this guide covers how to spot a ground nest, what to avoid and how to get it dealt with.
Recognising a ground nest
Wasps often use existing holes in the ground, such as old animal burrows, and enlarge them. From above, the entrance is an ordinary-looking hole about the width of a finger or a thumb, sometimes with a little loose soil around it. What gives it away is the traffic: wasps flying low and in a line, vanishing into the hole and emerging again, all day long.
The visible hole tells you very little about the nest itself, which may be a good deal larger and spread beneath the surface. Walking or mowing nearby sends vibration through the soil, and that is enough to alert the colony.
Ground nests turn up on lawns, under hedges, in banks, beneath sheds and in compost heaps or raised beds. They are easy to miss in long grass until the wasps are in the air.
Checklist: what to do and what to avoid
- Stop mowing, strimming and digging in that part of the garden straight away.
- Mark the spot from a distance with a stick or a stone placed well back from the hole, so nobody walks into it by accident.
- Keep children, dogs and visitors away from the area, and keep the dog on a lead if you have to cross the lawn.
- Do not pour anything into the hole or cover it with a slab, turf or soil.
- Do not stamp, jump or play ball games near it.
- Put on shoes with closed toes whenever you go outside, because stings to bare ankles are common.
- Watch from a window or a safe distance for a few minutes and note how busy it is.
- Phone for treatment rather than waiting to see if it goes quiet.
Why filling or flooding the hole does not work
Covering a hole with a heavy object might seem sensible, but wasps can dig, and a colony that is shut in finds another exit, which could be a metre away in the same lawn. Flooding is similarly unreliable. The nest chambers are surrounded by earth and the water drains away without reaching the whole colony, and you end up with wet and annoyed wasps.
Both approaches involve you standing next to the entrance, which is exactly the place that must be avoided. Even a small mistake with a bucket can result in several stings through socks or trousers.
Pets and children around a ground nest
Ground nests are a particular worry for households with dogs and young children, because both investigate holes in the ground without being asked. A dog that sniffs at an entrance may be stung on the nose or face, and a child running across a lawn can go straight over the nest.
Keep both away until the nest has been treated, and tell neighbours with gardens that adjoin yours. If a pet is stung on or near the face, or seems to be struggling to breathe, contact a vet straight away. If a person shows signs of a serious allergic reaction, such as swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, dizziness or a widespread rash, call 999.
Once a ground nest has been dealt with, it is natural to want to get the lawn back to normal. Give it time. Wasps that were out foraging when the nest was treated may return to the spot for a little while, and it is wise to keep family and pets away until the technician says it is fine.
When it is safe, you can level the hole with soil or turf. There is no need to hurry, and filling a hole is only sensible when you are sure there is no activity. Do not dig it out to look for the nest, because nobody needs to see it.
It also helps to look at why wasps chose that spot. Quiet, undisturbed corners with loose soil and old burrows are attractive. Keeping long grass trimmed back and tidying brash piles may make the garden a little less inviting, though there is no way to guarantee wasps never settle. If you are not sure whether a hole in your lawn is a wasp nest at all, there is no harm in asking. Watch it from a distance for a few minutes in the middle of the day. A busy stream of striped insects going in and out is the sign to look for. A hole with nothing happening around it is more likely to be a burrow made by some other creature, and can be left alone. Describe it when you call and you will be told what sounds likely.
Arranging a visit
Call 0113 347 0014 or use the booking form on the contact page. Treatment is a fixed £90 per nest and a further nest on the same property is £35, with no call-out charge. We are available seven days a week, offer same-day service and work on homes and commercial sites.
The price is confirmed by phone before the visit and no work starts until you have agreed. Trained technicians carry out the work, which is fully insured. Please mention any wasp-sting allergy when you book, and ask if the empty nest can be taken down once treated.
Wasps on your property in Pool-in-Wharfedale?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.