Do Wasps Return to the Same Nest Every Year? A Guide for Pembury Gardens
The space under a deck or beneath a raised patio is dry, dark and rarely seen, which makes it a very attractive place for a wasp colony to start work.
A hidden room under the garden
Raised decking is wonderful in summer and almost invisible in winter, in the sense that nobody looks under it. The boards cover a gap of anything from a few centimetres to half a metre, and that gap is dry, shaded and sheltered from the wind.
For a wasp queen, it is a perfect cavity. She can crawl in through a gap at the edge, build a nest on a joist and be undisturbed. Meanwhile, people sit a short distance above, unaware of the activity beneath their feet.
If last summer’s nest was under your deck, the colony is long gone and the empty nest is not reusable. A fresh queen may well try the same space, so it is worth looking at how the deck is built.
Decking is also a feature of the garden that is often added after a house is bought. The people who installed it may not have thought about the gap, and the owners may never have looked underneath. That is how an untroubled nest can grow for a whole season.
Why a deck is easy to miss
The entrance to a nest under decking is often a tiny gap at the edge, behind a trim board or at the point where the deck meets a wall. The wasps come and go at the margin, and from the middle of the deck you may see nothing at all.
You may notice wasps flying low over the boards or disappearing near a corner. You might hear a faint hum when the garden is quiet, or feel vibration on a warm day. Children who play on the deck may be the first to complain.
The nest itself is on the underside of the boards or on a joist, and it can be seen only from beneath.
Hot weather encourages more activity, so the warmest afternoons are the best time to watch from a distance. Sit a few metres away and look at the edges of the deck, rather than at its surface, and the traffic will often be easy to see.
If the deck has a gate or skirt, check whether it is damaged. A small hole at the corner can be all that is needed for a nest to start.
A winter inspection
A cold day is the best time to look underneath.
- Check the perimeter for open gaps between the ground and the frame.
- Look at the trim boards and kick plates for loose or missing sections.
- Lift a loose board, or use the access hatch if there is one, and look with a torch.
- Look for old nests on joists, brackets or posts.
- Remove any stored items and debris from under the deck.
If you find an empty nest, you can remove it with gloves. If you see anything suspicious, close it up and ask for advice.
Wear gloves when you handle boards and do not put your hand into dark gaps. Take a second person with you, and keep a torch handy. If you find a live nest, stop, replace the board and step away.
Closing the space
The most effective measure is to deny access. Fine mesh or a trim board fixed to the open edge keeps out most flying insects, but it should allow air to move, as decking needs ventilation to stay in good condition. Check the manufacturer’s advice, or ask the person who built it.
Never close the edge while wasps are using it. Wait until the nest is dealt with. Once it is, fix the mesh or trim and keep it in good condition. A small repair is cheaper than a large nuisance.
If you are planning a new deck, ask the builder about closing the edges at the outset. It is much easier to design out the gap than to fix it later.
In every case, the repair should be tidy and durable. A loose bit of netting held with a few staples will not hold up for a year.
Patios, steps and paths
Similar spaces exist under steps, in the gaps between paving and a wall, and in raised borders with a timber edge. They are all places where a queen might find a pocket. A walk round the hard landscaping in winter, looking for gaps and hollow sounds, is time well spent.
If you notice wasps going into a crack in a patio or a gap under a step, keep clear and mark the place. Do not pour water or anything else into it.
Raised borders and sleepers stacked into a retaining wall often have the same hollow spaces behind them, and are worth including in your checks.
A pile of bricks, sleepers or spare timber stacked against a patio wall is another place to look, and a quick tidy can remove the temptation.
When a nest is under your feet
If you suspect a nest beneath the deck, keep people off it, particularly children, and avoid hammering or heavy movement. Vibration can upset the colony. Take care when you use the barbecue and keep food covered.
A treatment is a fixed £120 per nest, with an additional nest on the same property at £60 extra and no call-out charge. Everyone who visits is fully insured and qualified, and the price includes one visit guaranteed. Bookings are taken on 01622 410 019, or fill in the booking form at /contact-us/. We are open seven days a week, with same-day service and evening and weekend appointments for Pembury and the surrounding villages.
When we visit, it helps to know how to reach the underside of the deck and whether there are any access hatches. A quick description or a photograph of the edge where wasps go in is useful.
Wasps on your property in Pembury?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.