Do Wasps Return to the Same Nest Every Year? A Guide for Speldhurst Gardens
Late summer brings wasps to fallen fruit in huge numbers, and it is easy to mistake that crowd for a new nest when it is really the last gasp of an old one.
The orchard effect
If you have an apple, pear or plum tree, you will know the late-summer scene: fruit lying in the grass, soft and sweet, and wasps crawling over it. In some gardens it can feel as though the whole place is crawling with them.
The sight sets off two worries. One is that there must be a nest nearby. The other is that it must be the same nest as last year. In most cases, neither is true. Wasps from a nest some distance away will travel to a good food source, and the colony that was there last year has long since died.
Understanding the late-season picture helps you decide what to do, and what not to.
Gardens with soft fruit such as raspberries, blackberries or grapes see the same pattern. Anything sweet, soft and sun-warmed is a magnet in the last weeks of the wasp season.
Why late summer is so busy
By late summer the nest is at its largest, with thousands of workers. As the season turns, the colony begins to produce new queens, and the workers have less grubs to feed. They become more interested in sugar for themselves, and they head for ripe fruit, fizzy drinks and bins.
That is why autumn wasps seem more troublesome than spring ones. There are many of them, they are at the sugar, and they are more likely to blunder into people. But it is the final phase of the colony. When the cold arrives, they will die, and the nest will be left empty.
In Speldhurst, as elsewhere, an orchard or a single tree will pull in workers from some distance.
Some people find that wasps are most active at midday on warm days, when drinks and fruit are at their sweetest. Others notice them more in the evening, when they have finished foraging and are gathering around any remaining food. Either way, the pattern is about food and not about a nest.
Reducing the attraction
You cannot stop wasps visiting a fruit tree, but you can reduce the number.
- Pick up windfalls every day or two, and bag them for disposal
- Pick ripe fruit promptly, instead of leaving it to soften on the branch
- Keep seating away from the tree
- Cover compost and food waste
- Avoid leaving drinks or food outside
The aim is to make the garden less interesting. A quick tidy before an outdoor meal also works wonders.
If you are hosting a meal outdoors, a bowl of water or juice placed a good distance from the table is sometimes said to draw wasps away. It can help a little, but it is not a cure, and the best approach is still to keep food covered and sweet things out of reach.
Consider moving the bin well away from the tree, and keep a lid on it. A bin of rotting windfalls next to the seating is a recipe for a crowd.
Is there a nest in the tree?
A tree can hold a nest, but fruit alone is not evidence. The tell-tale sign is traffic to and from a single spot. Look at the trunk, at forks in the branches and at the ground around the roots. If wasps are streaming in and out of the same hole, it is worth taking seriously.
Last year’s nest is another matter. If you find an old one in the tree, it is empty and will not be reused. After the leaves fall, take a look at the branches. Bag the old nest in cold weather, if you can reach it from the ground.
Do not shake the tree or knock on the trunk to check. If a nest is in there, the vibration will bring out the workers and you will be standing right underneath.
Inspect the base of the tree too. Roots and old stumps can leave hollows, and a ground nest at the foot of a tree is easy to miss until someone mows around it. Hold back on the strimmer in the weeks when wasp traffic is growing.
What to do in spring
Fruit trees blossom early, and a flowering tree attracts many insects. Do not confuse these with wasps starting a nest. Watch the base of the trunk, the hollows in the branches and any nearby wall or fence. From late April, a queen may be examining these places.
Keep an eye out for any bare patches or holes under the tree where the ground has been disturbed. A tree that stands in long grass hides many such hollows, so keeping the grass short makes them easier to see.
A tidy orchard in autumn, with fallen leaves cleared and old fruit removed, also helps you see what is underneath in the following spring.
Pruning in winter lets light into the canopy, and you will see any old nests far more easily with the leaves gone. Remove an empty one from a low branch with gloves, and ask for advice about one that is higher than you can safely reach.
Getting help
If you have found a live nest in or near your fruit trees, keep clear and keep others away. We offer treatment at a fixed £120 per nest, and an additional nest on the same property is £60 extra, with no call-out charge. Each technician we send is fully insured and qualified, and the price includes one visit guaranteed.
You can reach us on 01622 410 019, or fill in the booking form at /contact-us/. We are open seven days a week and can usually offer same-day service, with evening and weekend appointments. Pickers and anyone with a sting allergy should be warned about the nest and the allergy should be mentioned at booking.
For a nest found in a tree, tell us roughly how high it is and whether you can see it from the ground. That helps us plan the visit properly.
Wasps on your property in Speldhurst?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.