Do Wasps Return to the Same Nest Every Year? A Guide for Lordswood Gardens
The wasp year runs on a clear calendar, and if you know what happens in each month, you can pick the right moment for each job around the house.
The calendar in one go
Wasps follow a reliable timetable, and a lot of the confusion about whether they return to the same nest comes from not knowing where in the year you are. Here is the overview, and the sections below look at each stretch in turn.
- Late April onward: queens begin new nests, depending on the weather
- Summer: the colony grows, and workers are busy
- August: the colony peaks, and may hold from 2,000 to 10,000 wasps or more
- Autumn: the colony dies out, and new queens go to shelter
- Winter: only sleeping queens remain, and old nests are empty
Nothing in this timetable has anyone going back to a nest. Each year begins afresh.
Weather can shift the dates by a week or two either way, and a mild spring will start the cycle earlier than a cold one. The order of events, however, does not change.
Autumn: the colony ends
By the time the evenings are drawing in, the nest has done its work. The final batch of new queens leaves, mates and goes to find shelter. The workers weaken and die as the nights get cold, and the nest is abandoned.
Late-season wasps can be a nuisance for a few weeks. They are wandering about with less purpose than before, and they are drawn to sweet drinks and food. They do not mean that a new nest is being built. In fact, no new nests are started at this time of year.
This is a good time to photograph the old nest and note its place.
The sight of drifting, groggy wasps on a September lawn tends to alarm people, but these insects are near the end of their lives. They are interested in sugar rather than in your house, and they do not have a nest to go back to for long.
There is no point worrying about autumn wasps that hover at a window. Close it, move food away, and they will drift off.
Winter: the job month
Winter is when the practical work is best done. There are no active wasps, the old nest is plainly empty, and gaps can be repaired without trapping anything.
- Remove an accessible old nest, wearing gloves.
- Fill gaps in walls, eaves and outbuildings.
- Replace mesh on air bricks and vents.
- Fill disused holes in the ground.
- Tidy stored items in sheds and garages.
In Lordswood, near Chatham, as elsewhere, this list takes a weekend or two. It costs little compared with dealing with a nest in August, and it removes the places that queens look for.
Keep a small tin of notes in the shed: the date of each repair, the gap that was filled and the product used by the builder if there was one. When next autumn comes round, you will know exactly what has been done.
If you use a builder, give them the list so that nothing is missed on the day.
Early spring: wait and watch
Queens begin to stir as the weather warms, but they are not building yet. You may see one flying slowly around a wall or into a shed. A single large wasp in March or early April is usually a queen on the lookout, and it does not mean a nest has started.
Use these weeks to double-check your repairs. If a gap is still open, close it now. Once you see a wasp using it, it is too late for a DIY repair.
Do not be alarmed if you see the odd large wasp inside a room at this time. A queen that has woken early and wandered in through a window is common, and she can usually be guided out with a glass and a piece of card, if you are calm and careful.
Take this chance to look at the loft hatch, the garage door seal and the shed roof once more. A short list written in March is far more useful than a long one written in July.
Late April to June: the early-nest window
This is the period when a nest is easiest to deal with, because it is small and has few wasps. Look at your known spots once a week. Look for a wasp that goes in and out repeatedly, or a small grey cluster of paper in a gap.
Do not go near the entrance or try to block it. A young nest is still defended, and wasps can swarm and sting if threatened. Keep your distance, and keep children and pets away.
Remember that the date by which a nest becomes noticeable varies from home to home. A nest that began in a roof space may not be heard until June.
It is a good time to talk to neighbours too, since an early nest next door is a useful warning for you.
Early nests are also the least stressful to deal with, since the wasps are few and the entrance is easy to describe.
July and August: the peak
By midsummer a colony is large and busy, and it is far less comfortable to be near. Pick a day to speak to us as soon as you realise there is a problem. We treat a nest for a fixed £120 per nest, with an additional nest on the same property at £60 extra. There is no call-out charge. Each technician we send is fully insured and qualified, and one visit is guaranteed.
To book, ring 01622 410 019 or send the online form at /contact-us/. We are open seven days a week, with same-day service, and evening and weekend appointments are available.
A late-season nest can be treated just as early ones can, and there is no need to wait until the autumn in the hope that it will end by itself. The colony is at its largest, and the risk of stings is at its greatest.
Wasps on your property in Lordswood?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.