Wasps AIBU

I had a wasp nest in my loft last year. I am not happy with them but realised that they only live until the start of winter. Mine cleared off and I have left the nest to stop others coming in.
It's not easy but they are so important. Please leave the nest on place when it us empty and it will stop others coming.

Crikey M0nica - your "very powerful aerosol wasps' nest destroyer" sounds utterly terrifying, especially as the user has to take aim from a distance of 4m. I won't be putting one of those in DH's Christmas stocking.

we found on the internet some info about smells that wasps don't like - bay leaves, cinnamon, chilli, citronella. I ground some up and made a little 'bouquet garni' to hang around in the garden and kitchen. Wasps (apparently) have a strong sense of smell so these little bundles of joy should be anathema to them. Apart from that they make the rooms smell nice.

We had wasps recolonise a nest in our loft that they had used the previous year. They built the new nest around the old one.

yes you can buy them here. They're called waspinators. We've got 2. They do seem to work

We were seriously plagued with wasps on a visit to a BiL’s place in France a year or two ago.
In a tree near where we habitually sat, we hung a few large mineral water bottles, with wasp-sized holes in the sides (made with a hot skewer IIRC) and several inches of water mixed with plenty of sweet jam in the bottom.
It was pretty gruesome to see how many wasps came to a very sticky end in those bottles - literally hundreds.

You need to get rid of it. Pour boiling water into the nest. Wasp stings can be dangerous.

When we had a house in Spain we used to get lots of wasp nests around the eaves. As it was only a single storey home, they were very close to doors and windows, so we would wait until dusk when they had all gone into the nest, and then heavily spray with a normal wasp/fly spray, and then jump back as wasps rained down on the concrete. Never got stung once, but where we live now, I inadvertently disturbed a wasp nest where there was no sign of activity, and was stung more than 30 times, it's the worst experience I've ever had, I had wasps in my hair in my clothes in my glasses, everywhere! I ran indoors and stood under the downstairs shower, and watched as they fell out of my hair etc. It took me 3 days before I was anywhere near back to normal, and naturally after that, I am VERY wary and extremely glad that I don't appear to be allergic to them as our nearest hospital is 20 minutes away!

We've had wasps nests over the years in roof spaces, last year in the loft. They've never bothered us, spent their time on trips between the brassica and the nest because they eat the caterpillars on the vegetables so very beneficial. Last summer Walter Wasp used to sit on the garden bench close to me and, walking backwards, seemed to be chewing off minute particles of the slats, presumably for nest repairs. Sometimes he brought a friend but they never bothered me. There nests are beautiful. One summer there was a nest in the laburnam tree in the front garden and we had no idea until winter when the tree was bare and we saw the nest.

Last year we had a bees nest in the flat roof of the extension, they'd gone by July.

Sorry, THEIR nests.

We had a wasps' nest in the tool shed near our house when we moved to a country smallholding in 2005. I was keen to get rid especially because our baby and toddler grandchildren visited us frequently and played in the garden. My husband said that it was a lovely part of nature and would do us no harm. The nest grew over the summer and eventually the wasps attacked my husband, chasing him from the tool shed and stinging him several times. Immediate change of mind, local newspaper ads consulted and local man engaged to get rid of the nest for £45. He did it with foam and was also chased by the wasps. After that, we always destroyed (with regret) any nests we came across in their early stages with a stick (the wasps hover around and then leave, presumably to find a new site.) Because if we came across a budding nest, it was in an area we needed to use. A great pity because they are beautiful and fascinating and necessary. But we needed to live our lives too and we don't live in fairy land. Neither do you and I think that you need to get someone to get rid of the nest especially as you are allergic.

Thank you for all your comments. They are very much appreciated.

Contact the council. They will decide who's property the nest is on and bill accordingly.

Many apologies Absgran that should have read 'I do sympathize with your predicament Absgran and think' YANBU.

Update neighbour thinks they are hornets rather than wasps ????? She can’t see a nest and doesn’t agree with killing any creature. If it was bees I would happily pay for some kind of safe live removal. But I just want these gone.

Will contact the local council and see what they say. Thanks everybody.

DEFRA states you should not cut or trim hedges between 1 March and 1 September because of birds' nests. This is why the hedges in country lanes are making driving quite dangerous round here.