Wasps AIBU

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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.

Sorry, THEIR nests.

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.

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!

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Get rid of the nest even if it doesnt bother your neighbour, it would be worth paying for it to be removed.If you are allergic a sting could be fatal.

We bought a very powerful aerosol wasp nests destroyer. You stand well back, about 4 metres, aim it at the nest, press the lever and it is blown to pieces and the insecticide in it will kill the wasps.

We used one to get rid of a nest in a hole in the masonry of our home in France. DH had to stand further back than 4m because the nest was just below a bedroom window and he needed to be at the right angle to get the foam straight in the hole, but it still shattered the nest, it landed in pieces in the front garden and we then sprayed it with wasp killer, juts to be on the safe side

I found a similar product on ebay. www.ebay.co.uk/itm/114875358265?hash=item1abf1adc39:g:GOAAAOSw1Mdgond1

I, like Craftycat, was terrified of them having been stung multiple times in my childhood. Then I learned to be calmer when they were around and despite years of working with both fruit sales (outdoor shop display) and an outdoor cafe area in a seaside town was never stung once (used to place a little jam on a saucer, placed well away from the area and found that they fed then left shortly afterwards). I warmed to them after reading about their life cycle - apparently after months of work feeding their young with aphids etc, they then are free to feast on the fruits of Autumn before dying in the winter. If I've remembered that wrong please don't disillusion me because (now in my advanced years) I can really relate to them. However, having said that, I do sympathize with your predicament Absgran and think yabu

I had one years ago and the council removed it. It was at the bottom of the drive and everyone coming to the house had to walk past it and I was frightened if anyone got badly stung. If you are allergic you need to get rid of it, it's your health that matters.

Try your local council if you really want it removed. I used to work for our council & we were far cheaper than the firms that did it.
Having said that Wasps are really good news for your garden & will not attack unless provoked. I was terrified of them until I had to do the council course on pest control & then I saw them in a new light- never harmed one since.

agnurse

I am not sure if you can get them in the UK, and I'm also not sure if it works for existing nests, but here in Canada you can buy hanging objects that resemble a fake wasp nest. You hang it in an area where you don't want wasps. Wasps are territorial, so they will see the fake nest, assume the area is taken, and go elsewhere.

Yes agnurse, we can get them in the UK. They’re called Waspinators and I’ve read good reviews of them.

If you are allergic to wasp stings which can cause a severe anaphylactic reaction in some people, get rid of it. Phone around though and get a price even the council.
We had a large one in our loft and luckily found it at the end of summer one company told us to watch until no more were going in and out then to put protective clothing on rubber gloves etc and cover it with a large plastic bag and pull it completely away. Which DH did. Unfortunately, you have found it when it is very active.
If your neighbour can't be bothered to help you then I'm afraid you might find it very expensive, Rentokill used to do it.
Then think twice when they ask for help or agreement.

Get an estimate or two to find out what it will cost to have the nest removed.

Your neighbour has agreed to this, and you are allergic, so why not tackle the problem?

The nest may well be in her hedge rather than in yours, but she is not bothered by it, you are.

If an estimate from your council or an exterminator is too expensive try the local bee-keepers, many of them will help with a wasps' nest too.