Do Wasps Return to the Same Nest Every Year? A Guide for Montford Gardens
A lawn or bank that housed a nest one year will not host the same colony again, though it may still tempt a new queen.
What an old ground nest looks like
An underground nest leaves little trace once the colony has gone. You may see a hole in a bank or lawn, a patch of loose soil, or a small depression where the ground has caved in. In autumn, the traffic of wasps dies away.
Because the nest was inside the ground, the paper structure is hidden and often falls apart. This leaves a hole that looks very much as it did while the colony was active.
Do not poke the soil to see whether there is anything left. In winter there is nothing to find, and in the warmer months a poke could provoke a new colony.
Some old holes look much the same year after year, which can make it hard to know whether anything is happening. Compare your photographs from one season to the next if you have them, and watch for change.
In winter, you may find that frost has crumbled the edges of the entrance, leaving a hollow that fills with leaves.
Is the hole reused
The colony is not. By the time winter arrives, the workers and the old queen have died. The cavity, however, remains. A dry, sheltered hole is exactly what a new queen might look for, and she may choose the same spot or a similar one nearby.
There is nothing mysterious about this. Wasps use what is available, and old burrows and hollows are ready-made nest chambers. This is why the same bank or lawn corner may have a nest in more than one year.
Banks beside roads and paths are popular because they warm quickly and drain well. If you have one, give it extra attention in spring, and keep dogs and children away from loose soil on the slope.
Long grass on a bank can hide the entrance for months. Keeping it short with hand shears in winter makes any hole easier to see in spring, though you should stay clear of the area once the weather warms.
If you have an old hole that you suspect is still used by something, take advice before filling it.
Filling old holes safely
Once winter has come and the ground is cold, an old hole can be filled with soil or a similar material. Make sure nothing is entering or leaving it, and that you have not seen any activity for several weeks. Fill it firmly and level the surface.
Do not fill a hole between spring and autumn if wasps have been active there. Blocking an active entrance sends wasps to dig or find another way out, sometimes some distance away.
Compacting the soil with a boot or a tamper after filling helps the surface settle. If the hole opens up again later, a queen may be digging, in which case leave it alone and seek advice.
Rain can wash soil back out of a poorly filled hole, so check your work after a heavy shower. A filled hole that re-opens in April or May is a warning that something is digging.
Spring checks for underground nests
Start looking in early April, when queens begin to search for a place to build. A queen examining the ground, walking in and out of holes, is a sign. Watch patches of lawn or bank where you have seen holes before, and check the foot of walls and hedges.
- Look at old holes for signs of new activity.
- Check sunny banks and the edges of borders.
- Mark any suspicious spot with a cane from a distance.
- Keep children and dogs away from it.
Repeat the check every couple of weeks. Early on, activity is light and easy to miss.
Look for small mounds of fresh soil near a hole, which suggest something is excavating. A dark patch of bare earth around an entrance can also be a sign of regular traffic.
Mark the spot with a cane or a stone so you can find it easily in spring. A quick look in the same place every fortnight takes seconds and provides a reliable comparison.
Garden jobs near old holes
Be careful with digging, mowing and strimming around spots that held a nest. Even if you think the hole is old, a new queen might have taken it. Vibration can bring the workers out if a nest has started to grow.
If you plan to dig a bed or install a path in a spot that had a nest, do it in winter, when everything is cold and inactive. In summer, check the area before any work.
Lawnmowers can pass over the entrance of a ground nest without any sign, so mow with care in summer and be ready to stop at the first sight of a wasp. Switch the mower off before you check.
Booking in Montford
Wasp Exterminator Shropshire quotes a single fixed £80 per nest, one visit guaranteed, and £40 extra for each additional nest on the property. Call-out is free of charge. Montford and surrounding villages are covered every day, by fully insured and qualified technicians. You can ask for same-day service.
Speak to the team on 07916 322 280. If you prefer, send the online form from the contact page. If it is urgent outside office hours, the form is the route, and evening or weekend appointments are available. Say if anyone in the home is allergic to stings so the booking can be prioritised.
If the nest is in the ground, tell the team roughly where the entrance is in relation to the house, a path or a fence. A cane or a stone placed from a safe distance is a handy marker on the day.
Wasps on your property in Montford?
Fixed price £80 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.