Do Wasps Return to the Same Nest Every Year? A Guide for Womenswold Gardens
A wall covered in ivy or another climber looks lovely, but it hides cracks, gaps and the comings and goings of any insects that live behind it.
A green wall with a hidden side
Climbing plants soften a house and attract birds, bees and butterflies. They also hide the surface of a wall. Behind a thick layer of ivy, a hole in the brickwork, a gap at the eaves or a crack beside a window is out of sight.
For a wasp queen, that is a fine start. She can crawl in, build a nest in the cavity and use the plant as cover. The wasps are quiet in the leaves, and the first sign you have is usually an odd amount of traffic around one part of the wall.
Last year’s nest, if there was one, has gone. The colony died in the autumn, and the shell is not reused. But the gap, and the cover, are still there.
Fences and trellises can have the same effect. Any structure covered in thick growth makes it hard to see what is going on, and a plant that has been left for years can become a wall of its own.
Why climbers make a nest hard to spot
Foliage muffles sound and conceals flight paths. Wasps can approach the wall from within the leaves, disappear into a hole you cannot see, and leave the same way. On a busy, leafy wall, you can see wasps everywhere without knowing where they are going.
Some climbers also grow into gaps themselves, prising mortar apart and widening cracks. Ivy roots and stems can work their way into soft mortar, and over the years that makes more room for insects.
None of this means you need to remove every climber. It does mean paying attention to how they affect your view of the wall.
Birds also use climbers for nesting and roosting, and their noise and movement can mask the traffic of wasps. It is easy to dismiss a flicker of movement in the leaves as a sparrow when it is something else.
Even in winter, an old nest tucked behind a stem can be hard to see, so run your hand along the cut ends rather than looking only. Wear gloves for the task.
A winter prune that pays off
Late winter, before the birds start to nest, is a good moment to cut back climbers.
- Choose a dry, calm day.
- Cut back growth from windows, eaves, vents and air bricks.
- Peel back or cut away stems so you can see the wall surface.
- Look for loose mortar, cracks and holes.
- Check for old nests tucked behind the stems.
- Bag the cuttings and take them away.
Keep in mind that birds may nest in climbers from early spring, so check for nests before cutting and do not disturb any.
Wear gloves and eye protection when you cut ivy, and avoid pulling stems out of the wall, which can take mortar with them. It is better to cut stems at the base and let the remainder die back before removing it.
Think about your own safety on a ladder. If the climber is high up on the wall, a ladder is a risk even in winter, and it is better to hire someone with the right equipment than to try yourself.
Repairs and a sensible plan
If you find gaps, a bricklayer can repoint or fill them. It is best to do this before the plant grows back. Make the repairs in the cold season, when no wasps are active, and take care not to trap any.
Some people choose to keep climbers off the walls of the house, and train them on a trellis a short distance away. This leaves a gap that lets you see the wall behind and keeps the plant from damaging the mortar. It is a trade-off between appearance and ease of inspection, and only you can decide which matters more.
Whichever approach you choose, aim to leave the surface visible for at least part of the year, so that you can inspect the walls in late winter.
Clematis, wisteria, honeysuckle and climbing roses all do much less harm to walls than ivy, but they too can hide an entrance, so the principle of keeping the surface visible applies to all of them.
Spring and summer watching
From late April, look at the climbers on a warm day, from a distance. A wasp that flies into the foliage, stops, and then reappears shortly after is probably using an entrance. A series of such flights is a stronger sign.
Do not pull the plant aside or spray it to see what is behind it. Wasps can swarm and sting if threatened, and you will be standing in front of the entrance. Keep people away from that part of the wall.
A good rule is to check the same stretch of wall at the same time each week, so you get used to what a quiet day looks like.
A wall that gets more sun will warm earlier in spring, so look at the sunniest wall first.
Arranging treatment
For a nest behind climbers, we offer a fixed price of £120 per nest, with an additional nest on the same property at £60 extra. No call-out charge applies. Work is carried out by fully insured and qualified technicians, and each job comes with one visit guaranteed.
Phone 01622 410 019, or book through the form at /contact-us/. We serve Womenswold and nearby villages seven days a week, with same-day service and evening and weekend appointments. If someone at home is allergic to stings, say so when you book.
Tell us how thick the planting is and which way the wall faces, since it helps us to know where to look.
A short description of which wall and roughly how high up the traffic is will save time on the day.
Wasps on your property in Womenswold?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.