Wasp Nest in a Hedge or Bush – What Wigmore Garden Owners Should Know
Before you book a treatment it helps to know what you are looking at, and a few calm observations can tell wasps apart from bees and other insects.
Not every buzzing hedge has a wasp nest
Hedges and bushes are busy places in summer. Flowers draw bees and hoverflies, and the leaves host all sorts of other insects. When you hear a hum in a shrub, it is easy to assume the worst. Taking a few minutes to work out what you are seeing saves worry and ensures you ask the right person for help. This service treats wasp nests. It does not deal with bees, so it is important to identify which insect it is before you book.
Do not rely on a single sighting. A hedge that seems quiet at 9 am may be teeming at noon, and an insect seen once may not be nesting nearby. Look over several days, at different times, before you decide what you are dealing with.
What wasps look like
Wasps are slim and smooth, with a clear narrow waist between the thorax and abdomen. They are bright yellow and black, with a glossy look and very little hair. They move quickly and in a direct way, flying straight to a destination.
- Narrow, defined waist.
- Bright, sharp yellow and black bands.
- Smooth, shiny body with little fuzz.
- Quick, purposeful flight in and out of one point.
Wasps often show interest in sugary drinks, meat and rubbish. At a nest, they make a steady stream, rather than hovering around flowers. If you see this behaviour in a hedge, a wasp nest is likely.
Size differs, but not as much as people think. Workers are generally smaller than the queen, and a queen seen in spring can seem very large. A large wasp in April is likely a queen looking for a place to nest, and is worth noting.
Remember that behaviour is a better guide than colour alone. Plenty of harmless insects wear yellow and black. What marks out a nest is organised, repeated traffic to one spot in the hedge.
What bees look like
Honeybees are golden-brown and slightly furry, and bumblebees are round, hairy and bigger, with soft bands of colour. Both fly in a more rounded, bobbing way and spend their time moving from flower to flower, rather than flying directly back to one spot. Bumblebees nest in small colonies, often in holes in the ground, banks or hedge bottoms, but the numbers are much smaller and the traffic is gentler. If you think you have honeybees or bumblebees, do not disturb them. Contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation for advice. Honeybees in particular can be relocated by beekeepers, and bumblebees are generally best left alone if they are not causing a problem.
Mining bees and other solitary species make small holes in the ground and in banks, and are sometimes mistaken for wasps. They fly in and out slowly and are not aggressive. If the holes are scattered in a patch and each is used by only one or two insects, they are probably not wasps.
Other insects people mistake for wasps
Hoverflies mimic the markings of wasps but are harmless. They hover in the air in front of flowers, do not have a visible narrow waist and cannot sting. Sawflies and other insects can also look wasp-like at a glance. If the insect hovers rather than flies directly, and is interested in flowers rather than a hole, it is unlikely to be a nest-builder. Wigmore gardens, like any, contain a lot of this insect life. A few insects in a flowering shrub are normal. A nest is shown by an organised flow of insects, going in and out of one point, again and again.
Large insects with a heavy, buzzing flight may be something else entirely. If you are unsure whether a large insect is a wasp, do not try to catch it. A photograph at a distance, with something to show its size, is a safe alternative.
What to do if you are still unsure
If you cannot tell after a few minutes of safe watching, take a photograph or short video from a distance. Do not get closer, and do not catch or swat any insects to look at them. Describe what you have seen when you ring, including the colour, size, shape and behaviour, and the team can tell you whether it sounds like wasps. Keep other people away from the hedge in the meantime, and hold off on trimming. If it turns out not to be wasps, you will have lost nothing by being careful.
Be ready to say when you saw the insects, how many there were and whether there was a visible opening. Short, factual descriptions are best. The team can advise whether it is worth a visit, or whether you should speak to a beekeeper instead.
Resist the urge to look inside the hedge. You will learn far more from a calm ten minutes on the lawn than from parting the branches.
If it is wasps
One nest costs £70 whatever its size, and each further nest at the same address is £30 extra. Before anyone attends you are given the price by phone, and no call-out charge is added. If the nest is in a place that needs special access equipment, the price might be more, and you will be told first. Nothing is done without your agreement. Technicians are fully insured and qualified, and work seven days a week, with same-day service, evenings and weekends. You can make the booking by telephone on 07852 111 437 or online through the form or contact page. If anyone is allergic to stings, mention it when booking.
Make sure that others at home also know what is happening. Children and visitors should not approach the hedge, whatever the insects turn out to be, until you are sure of what is there.
After treatment, ask the technician about the hedge itself. They can tell you whether the empty nest can be taken down and when it is sensible to start cutting again, based on what they found.
Wasps on your property in Wigmore?
Fixed price £70 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.