Do Wasps Return to the Same Nest Every Year? A Guide for Sandwich Gardens
Allotment plots are visited in bursts, with weeks between jobs, so a wasp colony can establish itself in a shed or compost heap before anyone notices.
Visited in bursts
An allotment or shared growing plot has a particular rhythm. You might spend a long weekend digging and sowing, then not return for ten days. In between, the shed stays shut, the compost heap sits still and the water butt fills. Anything that likes quiet has a good opportunity.
A wasp queen waking in spring is exactly that sort of creature. She wants a dry, undisturbed hollow, and a plot has several to offer. If a nest turned up in your shed last year, it is an empty relic now. The colony was a one-season affair and the old nest will not be used again. A new queen may try the same shed, though, which is why the set-up matters.
In Sandwich, in east Kent, as elsewhere, the best approach is to build checking into your routine.
Growing spaces also have plenty of the things wasps feed on in late summer: ripe fruit, soft berries and sweet plums. Those draw workers from some distance, so seeing many wasps on a plot does not by itself prove there is a nest on it. What counts is where they go when they leave.
The places to look on a plot
A typical plot has more potential nest sites than the garden of a house.
- The shed: roof felt, gaps in cladding, shelving and stored sacks
- Compost bins and heaps, especially with loose lids
- Water butts, which can have gaps beneath them
- Stacked pots, canes and bean poles
- Cold frames, cloches and fleece stored in piles
- Rough ground at the edge of the plot, with banks and holes
Anything left undisturbed for more than a week in spring deserves a glance each time you arrive.
Do not forget the ground. Banks, paths between beds and the edges of plots are often left rough, and burrows left by small animals are common. Any hole that goes down more than a few centimetres is a possible cavity, and a ground nest is easy to step on when you are carrying a full watering can.
Habits that make it safe
Start every visit with a minute of looking, before you open the shed or lift a lid. Stand a couple of metres away and watch for flying wasps. One passing through is nothing. Several going in and out of one spot are a nest.
Open the shed door slowly, and look at the roof and top corners before stepping inside. Keep tools on hooks or racks instead of piled in a heap, and store sacks and netting in lidded boxes. These small steps make a nest easy to see and a surprise unlikely.
When you take a break for a drink, put your cup lid on and keep sweet food covered. A plot-holder eating fruit among the beds attracts attention and makes it harder to tell visitors from residents.
Working with neighbours on adjoining plots
On a shared site, one plot-holder’s nest is everyone’s worry. Wasps forage across the whole site, and a nest in a neglected shed can affect those around it. If a plot looks abandoned and you see wasp traffic, tell the site representative or the committee rather than trying to deal with it yourself.
Whose responsibility a nest is on a shared site depends on the tenancy agreement or site rules, so check those or ask the person who runs the site. We can help with the practical side.
Pass the message on to anyone who shares your plot, including family members and friends who help out occasionally. They are the people most likely to open the shed without looking.
If you are the one who first notices a nest on a shared site, note the plot number and the position, and take a photograph from a distance. That gives the site representative everything they need.
Winter jobs that cut the risk
In the quiet months, give the shed an overhaul.
- Take out the old nest, if you have one, wearing gloves.
- Repair the roof felt and any gaps in the cladding.
- Move sacks, netting and rubbish out of the corners.
- Fit a lid or fine mesh to bins and butts.
- Fill empty holes on the plot and level hollows.
- Make a note of the date and what you did.
This is a good moment to compare notes with other plot-holders, who may have had nests of their own.
A bucket with a lid, a roll of fine mesh and a box of filler cost very little, and they do a great deal to reduce the number of dark corners on a plot.
Check with the site rules before you make structural changes to a shed that is provided by the site.
If you find a nest on a plot
Stop work and leave the area. Warn others and keep children away. Do not try to dig it out or block it. If someone is stung, wash the sting, remove it if visible and use a cold pack. Emergency help (999) is needed for a swollen face, lips or throat, wheezing, dizziness or a widespread rash.
Treatment is a fixed £120 per nest, with a second nest on the same property at £60 extra and no call-out charge. Each technician we send is fully insured and qualified, and the booking carries one visit guaranteed. Bookings are taken on 01622 410 019, or book through the form at /contact-us/. We are open seven days a week with same-day service, and evening and weekend appointments suit plot-holders who work during the day.
Please give us a clear description of where the plot is on the site, and which shed or bin it is, since sites can be large and similar-looking.
Wasps on your property in Sandwich?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.