How to Tell If You Have an Active Wasp Nest on Your Goldthorpe Property

What you see depends on the month. This guide follows a nest through the wasp year so you know what is normal in spring, midsummer and late season.

The same nest looks different every month

A worried householder in May and a worried householder in August may be looking at the very same nest and seeing completely different things. In spring it is tiny and quiet. By late summer it is busy, loud and, for many people, frightening.

Knowing what to expect at each stage helps you judge whether what you are seeing is a new colony or an established one, and how urgent it is. This applies to gardens and buildings anywhere, including in the Dearne Valley.

The sections below follow the season in order, so find the month closest to now and read from there. The signs described at one stage often carry on into the next.

Early spring: the very first signs

Nests are started in early April depending on weather and how mild the spring is. A single queen begins building a small structure in a sheltered gap, such as an eave, a wall cavity, a chimney, a tree, a bush or a hole in the ground. At this stage the nest may be about the size of a walnut.

You may see one large wasp repeatedly landing on a timber surface or going into a tight gap. Early on, there is no stream of traffic at all. It is easy to disregard, and many people only realise afterwards that the signs were there in April.

If you spot a lone wasp going in and out of the same crack, it is worth noting the location. Dealing with a nest at this stage is simpler than waiting.

What to do if you have already disturbed one

If you have knocked, mown over or otherwise disturbed an entrance, move away immediately and do not stop to look back. Wasps defend the nest and can attack in numbers, whether it is in the ground, a hedge or a wall. Get indoors, close the doors and windows and check everybody for stings.

For a sting, wash the area, remove the sting if you can see it and use a cold pack. Anyone with swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash needs 999. People with known allergies should speak to their GP in advance about what to do.

Afterwards, stay away from the spot until the nest has been treated. Wasps near a disturbed entrance can remain on alert for some time, and a second attempt to inspect the hole may cause another attack.

Early summer: traffic starts to build

Through May and June the first workers hatch and the queen concentrates on laying. The number of wasps increases week by week, and the entrance begins to look busy. This is when most people start noticing the pattern of wasps flying to and from one spot.

• A few wasps becoming a steady trickle at the same opening.
• Wasps visiting the same wall, soffit or tree several times an hour.
• The first sounds from a cavity on warm afternoons.
• The odd wasp turning up inside the house near the same room.

The nest is still growing, and it is often possible to deal with it before it becomes large.

Reading the weather as well as the calendar

Spring weather shapes the whole season. A mild, early spring can bring forward the first nests and let colonies get going sooner, while a cold, wet one may delay them. This is why there is no single date on which wasps appear.

Within a season, the weather changes what you see from day to day. Warm, dry, still days produce the most traffic. Cool, windy or wet days keep many wasps inside, and an entrance that was roaring yesterday can look nearly dead today.

Do not read a quiet day as proof that the nest has failed or the wasps have moved out. Wait for a warm spell before you decide, and describe the busiest time you noticed when you ring for help.

Over the summer, make a point of glancing at the roofline, the shed corners and the garden banks every week or so, from a distance. A thirty-second look each weekend is all it takes to catch a nest early.

By July the nest is large and the entrance can look like a motorway. In August the colony is at its peak, and a nest can hold as many as 2,000 wasps. Humming is easier to hear, and wasps are more likely to wander into the house or around outdoor seating areas.

This is the point where people are most tempted to try something themselves. Resist it. A large colony defends itself, and wasps can swarm and sting if threatened. Stay well away from the entrance and keep children and pets indoors or on the far side of the garden.

Late season and what to do now

Towards September and October the colony begins to decline and the old nest is abandoned for the winter. Wasps become more irritable and more attracted to sweet food in the last weeks, which is why late summer feels like the worst time.

Whatever the month, the advice is the same: observe from a distance, work out where the entrance is and arrange treatment while the nest is still active. The Wasp Exterminator offers a fixed £70 per nest, with an additional nest at the same property at £25 extra, no call-out charge, and cover seven days a week including same-day visits. Ring 07798 792 774, or use the online booking form.

The price is confirmed before the technician visits, and nothing goes ahead without your agreement.

If you are unsure which stage your nest has reached, describe what you see and let the technician judge. Describing the entrance, the height and the busiest time of day is enough for them to plan the visit properly.

Frequently asked questions

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