Wasp Nest in a Hedge or Bush – What Stone Cross Garden Owners Should Know
If wasps have already come out of the hedge, the next hour matters more than the next week, so here is what to do and what to leave.
First, get away
If you are reading this because the hedge has just erupted, the priority is simple: get away. Put down whatever you are holding, cover your face and head with your arms or a jacket and walk or run away from the hedge in a straight line. Go indoors if you can and close the door behind you.
Do not stop to swat, do not wave your arms, and do not try to retrieve the tools. Wasps defend the nest, and the further you are from it, the faster they lose interest. A colony in August can hold 2,000 to 10,000 wasps or more, so any delay can cost you stings.
Do not feel foolish. Disturbing a nest is one of the commonest garden accidents, precisely because nests are so well hidden. What matters is what you do next, and getting away and getting help is exactly right.
Treating stings
Once you are safe, deal with the stings.
- Move everyone to a room away from the hedge and close the windows.
- Wash each sting with soap and water.
- If you can see the sting, remove it quickly by scraping it out, not squeezing.
- Hold a cold pack on the area to ease swelling and pain.
- Keep an eye on the person for the next hour.
Call 999 straight away for swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. People with a known allergy should speak to their GP about it. Do not give dosing or drug advice to others; ask a pharmacist or your GP.
If a child or pet was stung, keep them calm and warm. Children can be frightened more by the fuss than by the sting itself, so speak quietly and give them something to do while you tend to them. Pets should be taken to a vet if there is swelling, drooling, difficulty breathing or collapse.
Check yourselves over for stings you may not have felt. In the rush of leaving, people often have several on the neck, back or scalp. Ask someone else to look if you cannot see.
Remember that wasps that have followed you indoors can hide in curtains and clothing. Shake out coats and towels outdoors, away from the hedge, before bringing them in, and check the children's hair and collars. If a wasp is loose in a room, open a window and let it leave rather than swatting it, which tends to provoke a sting.
Leave the scene as it is
It is tempting to go back at once and finish, retrieve or make safe. Do not. The wasps will be on high alert near the hedge for the rest of the day, and anything you left lying there can wait. That includes a ladder, the trimmer, a wheelbarrow or the dog's ball. If a machine was left running and there is no way to stop it from a distance, say so when you ring and keep well back.
Keep children and pets away. Close windows on that side of the house and check for wasps that have followed you indoors, which can happen in the first hour.
Do not be tempted to spray, burn or flood the hedge in the hope of finishing the job. Smoke, fire and water are dangerous and make the wasps more aggressive. They also put you at risk of a worse incident. The right step is to keep clear and let a qualified person take over.
Getting urgent help
Ring us and tell us what happened. A fully insured, qualified technician will treat the nest in one visit for a fixed £120 per nest, and an additional nest on the same property is £60 extra. There is no call-out charge. We are open seven days a week, offer same-day service, and have evening and weekend appointments.
If it is outside normal hours, the online form can be used for emergency service. If anyone was stung or is allergic, say so right away, as the booking can be prioritised. You can reach us at Stone Cross and the surrounding area on 01622 410 019.
For the next day or two, keep the household away from that part of the garden and make a plan with anyone who normally uses it. If a neighbour shares the boundary, let them know what happened, because they may be about to cut their own side.
When the technician comes, they will want to know exactly where the entrance is, so describe the spot as clearly as you can from memory, and stay indoors while they work. Wait indoors for the all-clear before stepping out again.
What to say on the phone
Tell us which hedge, which part of it, and what was happening when the wasps came out. Describe how many stings there were and whether anyone needs medical attention. If the trimmer or other equipment is still lying near the nest, mention it, so the technician knows where to be careful.
Ask whether the empty nest can be taken down once it has been treated.
It helps to note down what happened while it is fresh: the time, the place in the hedge, how long the wasps followed you and who was stung. This gives the technician a clear picture and gives you something to refer to if you are asked afterwards.
Getting back to normal
Once the technician has finished, wait for their say-so before collecting equipment or going near the hedge. Expect a few wasps to hover for a while. When you are ready to trim again, do it in small sections, and consider using hand shears so you can stop at once if anything stirs.
Next spring, look at the hedge from late April, before you start any work, so that you do not meet a nest unprepared.
Wasps on your property in Stone Cross?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.