Wasp Nest in a Hedge or Bush – What Belvedere Garden Owners Should Know
A hedge beside the driveway puts a wasp nest within arm's reach every time you open the car door, so it needs prompt attention.
The drive is a busy place
Ask yourself how many times a day you go past the hedge beside your drive. Out to the car, back with the shopping, wheeling bins down to the kerb, loading the boot, putting a child in a seat. Every one of those trips puts you within reach of whatever lives in the hedge, and many are done in a hurry with your hands full.
That is why a nest in a drive-side hedge is more dangerous than the same nest at the bottom of the garden. Households in Belvedere, in the London Borough of Bexley, will know the routine, and a drive-side hedge is the same wherever it is. By August the colony may hold 2,000 to 10,000 wasps or more, and car doors that bang against the hedge are exactly the kind of knock that sets them off.
The garage is part of the same problem. Wasps will explore any dark gap or open door, and a garage with a door left open all day is an invitation. Keep the door closed between uses, and check inside for wasps before you reach for tools or boxes.
Signs on the drive
You may see wasps before you see anything else.
- Wasps landing on the car body, the bonnet or the wing mirrors, particularly on warm mornings.
- Wasps flying in the car when the door is opened.
- A hum near the hedge when you walk past with the bins.
- A stream of wasps from the hedge to the garage or outbuilding.
- Wasps clustering round the bin lids.
If you see any of these, pay attention to the stretch of hedge closest to where it happens, and watch it from a distance.
Delivery drivers are visitors too. They walk up the drive, brush the hedge and stand by the door. Put a note on the gate asking them to leave parcels with a neighbour or in a safe place away from the hedge, and consider asking for deliveries to be held for a day or two.
Keep bags, boxes and tools off the drive next to the hedge while the nest is active, since moving them can brush the foliage. Leave them where they are and use the rest of the space.
If the hedge and drive are shared with a neighbour, work out a simple routine together while you wait, such as one household using the drive in the morning and the other in the afternoon, so that fewer people pass the nest in a short time.
Changing the routine for a few days
Small changes reduce the risk.
- Park a little further from the hedge if you can, to leave a gap.
- Open the car doors gently, on the side away from the hedge, and do not let them swing against it.
- Load and unload quickly and calmly.
- Keep the bins away from the hedge, and keep the lids shut.
- Check the car for wasps before getting in, and for children's seats and bags.
- Do not wash the car next to the hedge, since wet and soap smells can draw wasps.
If a wasp gets into the car, stop in a safe place, open all the windows and wait for it to leave, rather than swatting.
If the drive is shared with a neighbour, speak to them as soon as possible. They may use the same stretch of hedge and be at risk, and a nest on the boundary is a joint problem. A short, friendly message is enough.
Children getting in and out of the car are the main concern. Put the child in the seat on the side away from the hedge where you can, and buckle them in quickly. Do not let them run along the hedge to the door.
Safety around a vehicle
A wasp in a moving car is a hazard. Keep windows closed when you pass the hedge if you can. If you are stung or a wasp is trapped with you, pull over when it is safe, get out and let it go.
If anyone is stung, wash the sting, remove it if visible and use a cold pack. Ring 999 if there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing, wheezing, dizziness or a widespread rash.
Do not try to scare wasps away from the car with a spray or a cloth. Wafting and swatting encourage stings. Close the doors, wait for the wasps to leave and drive away calmly.
Treatment
One of our fully insured, qualified technicians will treat the nest in one visit and the work is safe and effective. The price is a fixed £120 per nest, with £60 for any additional nest at the same address, and there is no call-out charge. Same-day service is available, and we are open seven days a week for domestic and commercial customers.
To book, ring 01622 410 019 or send the booking form from the contact page. Tell us where the hedge is in relation to the car and the garage, and whether the car needs to be moved. Tell us about any allergies at home when you book, so it can be prioritised.
A visit is quicker if the car is moved first. Tell us when you book, and if you can move the car without going close to the hedge, do so before the technician arrives, so they have room to work.
For businesses with a forecourt, a yard or a customer car park next to a hedge, the same applies on a larger scale. We work with commercial customers, and can arrange an evening or weekend visit when the premises are empty.
Afterwards
Wait for the technician's say-so before parking next to the hedge again. Ask whether the empty nest can be taken down, and whether to trim the hedge. Next spring, look at the hedge beside the drive each week from late April.
Wasps on your property in Belvedere?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.