Do Wasps Return to the Same Nest Every Year? A Guide for Goodnestone Gardens
Plenty of what people believe about wasp nests is half right, and a few of the popular ideas can lead to wasted effort or unnecessary risk.
Why myths stick
Wasps are unpopular, and most people have a story about them. Some of those stories are true. Others have grown with repeating, and a few could cause problems if acted on. It is worth sorting out which is which, particularly if you have found an old nest and are wondering what to do.
Here are five commonly held beliefs, with what actually happens. They all connect to the question in the title, and the short answer to that question is that wasps do not return to the same nest.
It is also worth remembering that advice found online or passed on by neighbours is not always up to date. When in doubt, ask someone who deals with wasps every day.
Treat this as a quick reference, and come back to it when you hear a new claim.
Myth one: the same wasps come back to the same nest
The belief is understandable. A nest appears in the same place two summers running, so it seems that the wasps have returned. In fact, the colony ends every autumn. The workers die, the nest is abandoned, and only newly mated queens survive.
Each queen then finds her own place and starts again in spring, from late April depending on the weather. If she chooses a spot near last year’s nest, it is because the spot is suitable, not because she remembers it. So the nest is new, even if the place is not.
A good way to test this idea is to look at the date. A nest found in January is certainly last year’s and certainly empty. If you see wasps at the same spot in June, they came from a new nest, and it has a different history.
There is one more reason the myth lasts: the wasps look the same from year to year. There is no way to tell last year’s workers from this year’s, and the nest looks similar, so the mind fills in the story.
Myth two: an old nest is a warning sign that must be left alone
Some people believe that removing an old nest brings bad luck or attracts the wasps back, or that leaving it deters new ones. Neither is true. An empty nest has no effect on queens one way or the other.
You can remove one if you wish, once the weather is cold and you are sure it is empty. Wear gloves and bag it. If in doubt, leave it. At booking, it is worth asking whether an empty nest can be removed during the visit for a live one.
People often ask whether it matters which way the old nest faces or what it is made of. It does not. The paper is the same wherever it is, and the colony has finished with it.
Another version of this myth is that you should leave an old nest in place to deter new queens from building nearby. That is not something to rely on, and queens do not read the signs.
Myth three: wasps only nest in roofs and trees
Roofs and trees are common sites, but they are by no means the only ones. Wasps nest in walls, chimneys, sheds, garages, compost heaps, under decking and in holes in the ground. The determining factor is shelter and darkness, not height.
This is why a general garden check is more reliable than looking in one place. Walk the plot, look at the ground as well as the roof, and keep an open mind about where a nest could be.
Do not forget unusual sites such as old tyres, car bodies, boxes in the open and the hollow ends of fence posts. Wasps are not choosy, and they will use anything that provides shelter.
Hollow tree trunks, air bricks, gaps beneath garden furniture and old boxes in sheds all appear on the list of places where nests have been found. Make the list a long one when you check.
Myths four and five: blocking holes and waiting it out
The fourth myth is that you can block the entrance to a nest to stop the wasps. This is risky. A blocked entrance often sends wasps looking for another way out, which can lead into the house.
The fifth is that a nest can safely be ignored until it dies in the autumn. In theory a colony does die out, but it may sit beside a door or a play area for months at its largest in August, with thousands of wasps. Waiting is possible if the nest is far from people, but it is worth getting advice.
If you do decide to wait, keep a safe distance, keep an eye on it and be ready to act if it grows or if anyone is stung.
What to do instead
Check likely sites from late April, act early if you find a nest, and tidy up gaps in winter. Keep away from a live nest, and do not try to remove it yourself.
We treat nests in Goodnestone and the surrounding villages for a fixed £120 per nest, with another nest on the same property at £60 extra and no call-out charge. Our technicians are fully insured and qualified, and the booking carries one visit guaranteed. Call us on 01622 410 019, or book through the form at /contact-us/. We work seven days a week, with same-day service, plus evening and weekend appointments.
If you are not sure whether something you have heard is true, ask us when you ring. We are happy to give plain advice.
Book early in the season if you can. A small nest is simpler to deal with than a large one, and there is far less risk to the people around it.
Wasps on your property in Goodnestone?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.