Wasp Nest in Your Garden Shed? Safe Treatment Options in Barfrestone
When a shed is buried in greenery, a nest can grow unseen. This guide explains how to check from a safe distance and why not to cut back first.
A shed you cannot see properly
Some sheds are at the back of the garden behind a hedge, a mass of brambles or a thick curtain of ivy. The plants hide the walls, and the path is overgrown. You may only visit the shed once or twice a year, and when you do, you push through the growth to the door.
That is the kind of place where wasps can settle without anyone noticing. The greenery gives cover, and the shed is rarely disturbed. A nest could have been growing in the roof space or in a gap behind the ivy for weeks.
Often the first sign is a wasp or two on the path, or a faint buzz as you brush past the hedge.
This is especially likely if the shed has not been used since last year. The overgrowth grows thicker through spring and summer, and by August the walls may be wrapped in leaves. It looks like a harmless corner of the garden, but it is a sheltered, undisturbed spot.
Do not cut back first
It is natural to want to clear a path and take a good look. Resist the urge. Using shears, a strimmer or a hedge trimmer next to a possible nest is risky. The noise and vibration can set off an attack, and you will be standing close to the entrance with an arm full of branches.
- Leave the hedge and brambles as they are for now.
- Do not pull ivy off the walls to look for a nest.
- Do not trample down brambles to get a clear view.
- Keep dogs and children out of the overgrown area.
- Watch the shed from the nearest clear spot, however far away.
A few days of delay will not make the garden any wilder. A sting while holding a hedge trimmer is a much worse outcome.
If you must go near the shed for an urgent reason, think carefully about whether it can wait. A key, a tool or a bag of compost is not worth the risk of stirring up a colony in a place where you cannot see well or move quickly.
Watching from a distance
Pick a still, sunny moment and stand at the edge of the clear lawn. Look at the line of the shed roof and the gaps in the foliage. Wasps coming and going through a break in the leaves are a sure sign.
You may see little, because plants hide the entrance. Listen for a hum when the wind is quiet. If you can hear it from several steps away, the colony is a sizeable one.
Note where on the shed the activity seems to be and describe it as clearly as you can. Words like left side near the ivy or behind the bramble patch are enough.
Because the foliage hides the entrance, the best clue may be the pattern of flight rather than the hole. Follow the line of wasps from the clear lawn to the point where they vanish into the green. That is where the nest probably is.
Take a photograph of that point, even if it shows only leaves and the occasional wasp.
Booking in Barfrestone
Wasp Exterminator Kent covers Barfrestone and the surrounding villages. You pay £120 for each nest treated, with one visit guaranteed and nothing extra for a call-out. If there is a second nest, it is £60 more.
Someone is available seven days a week, and evening and weekend appointments can be arranged. An online form handles emergencies out of hours.
To book, call 01622 410 019 or fill in the booking form on the contact page. Tell the business that the shed is overgrown and how far it is from the nearest path. Technicians are fully insured and qualified. If someone in the household is allergic to wasp stings, say so when booking so that the booking can be prioritised.
Hedges and brambles may belong to a neighbour, so be careful about what you say and do. Do not cut anything that is not yours. If a neighbour's hedge is involved, speak to them kindly about the problem.
Giving the technician a way in
The technician will need to reach the shed. If the path is blocked, tell the business when you book, so they know what to expect. Do not cut a path in advance, since this is the thing that could cause trouble.
If a gate or stile is in the way, make sure it can be opened. Move vehicles, trailers and wheelie bins out of the access route.
After the nest has been dealt with, ask the technician about the empty nest and whether it can be taken down.
If the way to the shed is long, mention it. A technician who knows there is a distance to walk can plan for it and arrive prepared.
Clearing the greenery safely afterwards
Once the all-clear has been given, the clearing can begin. Work in daylight and in dry weather. Cut back brambles and ivy from the shed walls and roof, using gloves and eye protection.
Aim to leave a hand's width gap, or more, between plants and the shed, so you can see the walls and so that air can move. Take away the cuttings rather than leaving a pile against the shed.
Then check the roof and walls for the gaps that let the wasps in. Repair them, and make a note in the diary to look again in late April.
Plan to cut the hedge on a regular basis from now on. A tidy hedge and a clear gap around the shed make the whole area easier to check and less appealing to wasps in spring.
Wasps on your property in Barfrestone?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.