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

A wall covered in climbing plants looks lovely and gives wasps plenty of cover, and the clues of a nest behind the leaves are subtle but readable.

A curtain of leaves

Climbing plants such as ivy, Virginia creeper, wisteria, clematis and climbing roses form a thick layer over walls, fences and outbuildings. They soften the look of a property and provide homes for birds and insects. Behind that screen there are often cracks in the mortar, gaps behind trellis, and hollows where growth has pulled away from the surface. Wasps will happily use them.

The foliage does more than offer shelter. It conceals the entrance completely, so that the only sign for weeks may be wasps seeming to come out of the greenery itself. People assume the insects are visiting the flowers, when in fact they are going home.

How to read what you see

Flowering ivy in late summer and autumn is a magnet for wasps, as it produces nectar when little else is available. So lots of wasps on an ivy wall in September is not by itself proof of a nest. What matters is how they behave. Foragers move between flower heads, land, feed and fly away in any direction. Nest wasps go to one place and disappear into it.

• Look at the same patch of the wall for several minutes.
• Notice whether wasps drop into the leaves and do not reappear on the surface.
• Look for a place where the foliage looks thinner, flattened or chewed.
• Listen for a hum that is louder at a specific point.

The sound is often your best guide. A thick covering of leaves dampens many things but not the hum of a colony, and standing near the wall in the quiet of a warm afternoon you may well hear it. Compare different parts of the wall and see whether one section sounds louder than the rest.

The role of the plant itself

Climbers can damage mortar and pointing over time, opening up gaps. Stems can also lift roof tiles or push out soffit boards, creating the very entrances that wasps need. A wall that has been left to grow wild for years may be full of potential nesting sites, and a roofline overtaken by ivy is a particular worry.

This does not mean you should rip out your climbers in a hurry. Pulling at stems during the nesting season would be a good way to meet the colony. Wait until any nest has been treated, and then consider whether you want to trim back growth around the eaves, windows and vents.

Another factor is height. Climbers often reach the eaves and the gutter line, and a nest at that height can only be seen as a stream of wasps vanishing into the greenery against the sky. Look along the roofline rather than at the wall, and use binoculars if you have them. A wasp flying straight into the foliage near the top of the wall, without circling, is a good indicator.

Do not forget outbuildings, pergolas and arches. A rose-covered arch or a clematis-covered shed can hold a nest in the timber behind the stems, and children who walk under the arch will come very close.

What not to do on a green wall

Resist any urge to pull back leaves for a look. A nest can be inches behind the surface, and disturbing the stems transmits vibrations. Do not cut the plant, spray it or hose it. A power washer on a wall with a nest behind it is asking for trouble.

Do not lean a ladder against a covered wall or fix anything to it while the wasps are active. Keep windows nearby closed, and keep the area free of seating, washing lines and play equipment until the nest has been dealt with.

If a climber is attached to a neighbour’s wall or fence, the same warnings apply. Do not reach through to pull stems aside. Tell the neighbour what you can see from your side and suggest they have it checked, since a nest in a shared screen of growth can affect both gardens, and the sooner it is discussed the less stressful the summer will be for everyone concerned.

Seeing the nest in winter

When growth dies back in winter, a deciduous climber may reveal a grey nest that was invisible all summer. Evergreen ivy hides it year-round. Either way, if you find a nest, treat it as potentially occupied and look first for any activity from a distance. In cold weather the risk is lower, but a nest should not be handled on the assumption that it is empty.

Ask the technician what to do about the plant after treatment. They can tell you whether it is sensible to cut back, and can answer whether the empty nest can be taken down.

If you are a keen gardener and anxious about your plants, be reassured that treatment does not require the removal of the climber. Where the nest sits within or behind the plant, the technician will advise on what is needed, and you can ask them what the best approach is for the growth afterwards. In many cases it can simply be pruned back carefully once all activity has stopped.

In the meantime, avoid watering, tying in or pruning the plant. These jobs involve contact with the stems and are likely to disturb the nest.

Booking

Wasp Nest Removal Essex treats nests for a fixed £90 only, with an additional nest on the same property at £35 only. The technician is fully insured, and the price graphic promises one visit guaranteed. Our technician covers Great Bromley and surrounding villages, and same-day service is offered seven days a week to households and businesses.

Phone 01245 327274 or complete the form on the contact page. Say what the plant is, how high the wasps seem to be going in, and which wall it is on.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Great Bromley