Why Are Wasps Flying Into Your Westwell Home? Common Causes and Solutions
Dense shrubs close to a doorway give wasps shelter, and a nest in a hedge beside the path can cause stings long before anyone realises it is there.
The hedge beside the path
Hedges, climbers and thick shrubs are natural nesting places. The branches protect the nest from wind and rain, and the dense leaves hide it from view. A nest in a bush by the front door can grow for weeks while the family comes and goes underneath it.
The usual first sign is a wasp or two at the door, which grows to a handful. In Westwell, as elsewhere, a person trimming a hedge or brushing past a climber is the most likely to be stung, because they have disturbed the nest without knowing.
Plants themselves can play a part. Ivy, honeysuckle, clematis and thick laurel hedges give shelter, and flowering shrubs draw insects of all kinds, including wasps. None of this means you should rip out the plants. It means you should look at them with care in summer, and be aware of what is happening at head height.
What to look for
From the path, but at a distance, look at the nearest shrubs:
- Wasps flying in and out of a gap in the foliage.
- A grey, papery shape among the stems, often about the size of a fist or larger by late summer.
- A busy patch of ivy on a wall or fence.
- Wasps hovering at the same height at the same spot.
- A faint hum when you pause nearby.
If you spot any of these, stop and walk away calmly. Do not lean in for a better look.
A torch at dusk can help, as long as you keep your distance. Wasps are less active in the evening, and the dark entrance of a nest in a hedge may be easier to see against the leaves. Do not shine it into the foliage from close up, and do not stay long.
Check again at a different time of day too, because a nest that seems quiet in the morning can be very busy by the afternoon.
Changing how you use the door
You still need to get in and out. Use the back door if it is further from the nest, and tell visitors and delivery drivers to do the same. Put a note on the front door if that helps.
Take the post and parcels in a different way for a while. Keep food and drink away from the doorstep, and close the door quickly behind you. Keep children and pets away from the side of the garden where the nest is.
Delivery drivers and visitors are at particular risk because they do not know the hazard exists. If you can, put a clear note on the gate or near the door, and offer an alternative route. It is a courtesy that may save someone a painful sting.
Think about the post and the milk. A box of bottles left on the doorstep and a parcel that sits for hours near the hedge both invite trouble. Ask for deliveries to be left at the back, and collect them quickly.
What not to do
A hedge nest is not something to tackle with shears. Please avoid:
- Trimming, cutting back or pulling at the plant.
- Spraying water or any product at the nest.
- Banging the fence or hitting the bush.
- Using a strimmer or a leaf blower close to it.
- Standing on a ladder next to it.
Disturbed wasps swarm, and a nest can hold from 2,000 to 10,000 or more at its peak in August. The risk of multiple stings is high.
Be careful too with children's play equipment close to hedges. A swing, a slide or a trampoline beside a boundary hedge puts small children within reach of a nest. Move the equipment, or keep children off it until the nest has been treated.
If you have a bird feeder in the hedge, take it down for now. Seed and fat balls attract wasps as well as birds, and they will cluster at the feeder, which makes the area around your door busier than it needs to be.
Stings and allergies
Move away at once if someone is stung. Wash the area, remove the sting if you can see it and cool it with a cold pack. Signs of a serious reaction, such as swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash, mean calling 999. Anyone with a known allergy should speak to their GP, and should say so when booking, so that the visit can be prioritised.
Hedge trimming is best left until the wasp season is over and any nest has been dealt with. A fresh cut can also release scents that draw insects. If you need to trim urgently, ask a technician for advice first.
Treatment
Wasp Exterminator Kent treats nests in hedges, trees and bushes as well as in buildings. The fixed price is £120 per nest, with one visit guaranteed, and an additional nest at the same property is £60 each. No call-out charge applies, and the price does not vary with location or the time of day. Our technicians are fully insured and qualified, and we serve domestic and commercial customers seven days a week.
You can phone 01622 410 019 or use the online form on the contact page. Same-day service is available. When you book, describe which shrub or hedge it is and where it sits in relation to the door, and ask whether the empty nest can be taken down.
Mention if the hedge is shared with a neighbour, since the nest may belong to either side. It is worth speaking to them beforehand so that access is agreed. If the hedge is tall, tell the technician roughly how high you think the activity is.
Wasps on your property in Westwell?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.