How to Tell If You Have an Active Wasp Nest on Your Bicton Property
Nests in trees, hedges and under overhangs are often visible once you know where to look, though they can be hidden by leaves until late summer.
Nests above and around you
Wasps do not only use buildings. A queen may start a nest in a hollow in a tree, within the thick of a hedge, among the branches of a conifer or beneath an overhanging bough. The cover of leaves hides it for weeks. Then, in July or August, as the colony grows and the leaves thin out, the grey ball becomes obvious.
Bicton is a village near Shrewsbury, and gardens with hedges, mature trees and boundary planting offer plenty of spots for this.
Where to look, and from where
Stand back and scan the tree or hedge from different angles, not directly underneath. Bright daylight helps.
- A rounded, greyish or buff ball about the size of a football or smaller, which may look layered like paper.
- A dark spot or opening on the underside of the structure, where wasps enter.
- A moving line of insects against the sky between the nest and open air.
- Wasps hanging about low in a hedge, flying in and out of a gap between stems.
Binoculars are a useful tool, since they let you look without getting near. If you do not have a pair, a camera zoomed in is nearly as good.
Remember that foliage hides the real picture. A tree in full leaf can contain a nest the size of a football that you cannot see until autumn, so the absence of a visible ball does not rule one out. Rely on traffic, not on shapes.
Likewise, a nest high in a tree may be easy to see from the road or a neighbour's garden, but invisible from your own. If you can, check from more than one viewpoint, and avoid standing beneath the branches at any point.
Think about the ground below too. If you hold barbecues, put out a washing line or let children play under the tree, shift those activities elsewhere for now. Scraps of food and sweet drinks will bring more wasps into the area, and it takes only a moment for a nervous guest to swat at one and trigger a reaction.
If you are renting or managing a property with a communal garden, let the landlord, agent or whoever maintains the grounds know straight away, particularly if gardeners are due. Treating a nest early in the season is generally simpler than waiting until the colony has peaked in August, and a quick message now can stop a contractor walking into a hedge with a trimmer in hand.
Another tip is to compare the same view across several days. Take a photo from one fixed spot each morning, and look back through them. A new dark patch, a bigger grey surface or leaves thinning around a gap all indicate a growing nest. This is more reliable than memory, and it gives you something concrete to describe on the phone.
Distinguishing signs from false alarms
Not everything round in a tree is a wasp nest. Look closely, from a distance, for these differences.
- Birds' nests are made of twigs, moss and leaves, and have no insects flying around them.
- Bundles of dead leaves caught in forks look similar from below but are still.
- Galls and clusters of ivy can look like grey lumps, but have no traffic.
- If the insects are plump, furry and slower, they may be bees, which call for a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation instead.
The giveaway is movement. A real nest has constant coming and going, and that stream is easier to see when the sun lights up the wasps against a dark background.
The danger of working near it
Hedges and trees are the places where people get caught unaware. Trimming, strimming, climbing a ladder or sawing a branch can shake the nest and release defenders at once. A nest can hold as many as 2,000 wasps at its peak in August, and that many angry wasps is a very serious problem on a ladder.
If you suspect a nest, stop all gardening near the tree or hedge. Wash lines and garden furniture should be moved away only if that can be done without going near the nest. Tell neighbours who share the hedge, as they may be about to cut it.
Hedges and cover that hide a nest
In a thick hedge, the nest can be inches inside and still invisible. The best clue is a hole in the foliage where wasps repeatedly dive in and out. Foliage that looks slightly worn, or with leaves chewed away around a gap, suggests heavy traffic.
Avoid pulling branches aside to look in. If you must check, wait until the end of the day when the insects are returning, and look from a distance for a line of arriving wasps. Do not use a light at night to investigate, as wasps are drawn to it and may be disturbed.
Gutters, fascias and overhangs
Do not forget the building itself. Trees often grow near roof edges, and a nest in a branch may be close to a gutter or a bedroom window. Clearing gutters, painting fascias or fixing a satellite dish all put you at risk if a nest is nearby. If wasps are working around the roofline, delay any ladder work until the colony is dealt with.
Next steps
Note how high the nest appears to be, which side of the tree it is on and how close it is to the house or fence. If it overhangs a neighbour's land, mention that. Do not try to cut it down, even with a long pole.
Wasp Exterminator Shropshire is fully insured and qualified and charges a fixed £80 per nest, with £40 for an additional nest on the same property. There is no call-out charge. To arrange a visit, use the booking form on the contact page or call 07916 322 280. Same-day service is offered, and customers can ask the technician about removing the empty nest afterwards.
Wasps on your property in Bicton?
Fixed price £80 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.