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Wasp Nest in a Hedge or Bush – What Birdbrook Garden Owners Should Know
A greenhouse or shed built against a hedge doubles the places a nest can hide, and doubles the ways a wasp can end up where you are working.
Outbuildings and hedges together
A greenhouse, a shed or a potting bench against a hedge is a common arrangement. It makes good use of space, shelters the building and gives you a handy place to work. For wasps it offers the same, with the bonus of dry gaps under floors, behind panels and between the frame and the hedge.
It also means that a nest in the hedge can be a matter of a few steps from where you do your watering and potting. The wasps do not distinguish between hedge and building.
Polytunnels, cold frames and timber compost bays beside a hedge follow the same pattern. Any structure with a warm, dry, undisturbed gap is a candidate, and the hedge next to it gives the colony extra choice.
Hedges that run along the back of a row of outbuildings are the commonest case. Check them from the front of the buildings, from the side and, if you can see it safely, from the far side of the hedge.
Where to look
Check the structure and the hedge as a single area, from a distance. Watch for:
- Wasps flying into gaps at the base of the shed or under its floor.
- Traffic in the hedge directly behind the building.
- Wasps inside the greenhouse, gathering at the glass or the vents.
- A hum from behind the shed or from the corner where the building meets the hedge.
- Holes in the soil along the base of the wall or the staging.
If wasps are inside the greenhouse, they may have flown in from a nest outside, or there may be one in the structure.
The floor of a shed on blocks or slabs is a good place to check from a distance. The space under it is dark, dry and rarely visited, and wasps often use it. If you see traffic at the base of the shed, mark the spot in your mind and do not look underneath.
Working in the greenhouse
Greenhouses trap heat, and wasps come inside to feed on ripe tomatoes and sweet sap, then struggle to get out. A trapped wasp will bang against the glass and be irritable. Open the door and vents at the far end from the hedge, and let them leave by themselves.
Do not swat at the insects, since the movement tends to provoke them. Move slowly and calmly, and finish what you are doing outdoors where possible.
If the nest seems to be outside the greenhouse, hold off on any work at that side. Watering at the foot of the wall, leaning on the staging and moving pots can all transmit vibration to a nest on the other side.
Tomatoes, grapes and other ripe fruit in a greenhouse draw wasps, and a nest outside makes them numerous. Pick ripe fruit promptly, and keep any fruit that has split out of the greenhouse in a closed container.
Sheds and storage
Avoid going into a shed that has wasps near it, especially if it backs onto the hedge. If you must, open the door gently, look in and listen. Do not move boxes or tools that are stacked against the wall, and do not lift the floor panels.
Wasps can build inside sheds, in the roof, behind shelves or in a stored piece of equipment. A nest indoors is an additional hazard, because it is in a confined space with no easy way out for you.
If you see wasps flying in and out of a gap in the shed, treat it as a nest. The technician can treat both the shed and the hedge on the same visit, as long as you describe what you have found.
Leave things where they are until then.
Keep an eye on gaps around the door frame and the eaves of the shed as well, since wasps like a corner where two surfaces meet. Mention any such gaps when you book.
If the shed holds equipment you need urgently, ask the technician when you can safely go in.
If you are stung
Leave the building and the hedge, wash the area, remove the sting if you can see it and apply a cold pack. If you are in the greenhouse, step out calmly and close the door behind you.
Call 999 if the person has swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. People who know they have a wasp allergy should speak to their GP, and tell us when they book.
Do not go back for a tool or a plant tray until things have settled. The greenhouse will wait.
Think about the layout when the technician comes. If the greenhouse is full of plants, there may be little room to move, so clear what you can from a distance. Tell the technician about any glass panes that are loose, as they may need to avoid walking close to them.
Booking
Wasp Nest Removal Essex covers Birdbrook and the neighbouring villages. A nest is treated for a £90 fee, a fixed price with one visit guaranteed, and each further nest on the same property costs £35 extra. We work seven days a week, offer same-day appointments and are fully insured for domestic and commercial customers.
Phone 01245 327274, or use the booking form on the contact page. Tell us where the building stands in relation to the hedge, and whether the greenhouse is locked.
After the visit, keep the greenhouse vents closed on the hedge side for a few days and watch for stragglers. If more than the odd wasp appears, let us know.
Wasps on your property in Birdbrook?
Fixed price £90 per nest, same-day service available.