Do Wasps Return to the Same Nest Every Year? A Guide for High Beach Gardens

Only the young queens survive the winter, and the places they tuck themselves into are the same leaf piles and log stacks you may be about to disturb.

The only survivors

When the first hard frosts arrive, almost every wasp in a colony dies. The workers, the males and the old queen do not survive. The nest is left empty. Only the new queens, born late in the summer, go on to live through the winter, and each one does so on her own.

This explains why wasps never return to the same nest. There is simply nobody left in it. What emerges in spring is a scattering of individual queens, each searching for her own place to start a new colony.

For anyone in High Beach clearing the garden in autumn, the useful thought is that the places where queens hibernate may be the very corners you are about to tidy.

It is also worth saying that most queens do not survive the winter. Many are eaten, caught by cold or damp, or simply fail to wake up. That is one reason why the number of nests in a particular year varies so much.

The ones that do survive can be hard to find, because a sleeping queen looks very much like a lump of debris.

Where a queen hibernates

She looks for somewhere dry, sheltered and stable. That might be a crack in a tree, behind loose bark, in a pile of leaves, among stacked logs, under a stone, in a hollow wall or inside a roof void. Some even spend the winter in a shed, a garage or a loft, quietly tucked in a corner.

She is dormant, and she will not sting unless she is handled or pressed. Disturbing her in winter does not release a swarm. It does mean she is exposed, and a queen found in the cold may not survive.

There is no need to avoid your garden in winter, but it is sensible to go slowly when lifting logs, sheets and heaps of debris.

Lofts, sheds and garages are popular, because they stay above freezing in most winters and are dry. If you store garden furniture, cushions or parasols, there may be a queen tucked into a fold. Shake out items outdoors in spring, standing well back, and let any insect fly off.

Window frames and the space behind curtains in a seldom-used room can also hold a sleeper, which is often found when the room is opened in spring.

Tidying with care

Autumn and winter jobs such as moving woodpiles, burning garden waste and clearing borders are normal. Do them with a little attention. Lift covers and pots slowly. If you find a wasp that is still and sluggish, put the cover back and leave it be.

• Check bonfire piles before lighting, in case anything has crawled in.
• Move logs a few at a time and look under each.
• Do not pour water or liquid into holes and cracks.
• Leave a sluggish insect in place if it is sheltered.

Do not worry about the occasional queen. One queen in winter is not a nest.

Do not use sprays or pour liquids over a woodpile. They are unnecessary, and they will not stop anything being born next year. A calm, careful approach does more good.

If you are removing a pile of material, do so in the colder months and work in daylight, so you can see what you are doing.

Wake-up in spring

As temperatures rise, usually from late April depending on the weather, queens emerge. They feed on nectar and then begin looking for sites. This is the time to watch for lone wasps investigating gaps. It is a quiet and gentle phase, and a nest is still some weeks away.

You can sometimes help a queen indoors by opening a window. If she keeps coming back to the same place in a house, loft or outbuilding, watch where she goes.

A queen that has just woken up is slow and a little dazed. She may sit on a sunny wall and warm herself, and you can leave her to carry on. A stray queen in the house will usually head for the nearest window, and you can help by opening it.

Once she has fed, she goes in search of a cavity. This is the crucial week or two when her choice is made.

Old nests and garden bonfires

Old nests found in winter should not be burned in a bonfire as a way of dealing with them. There is no need, and it adds a fire risk. Bag a dead nest and put it in the bin, once you are certain it is empty.

If you are unsure, ask the technician at booking whether an empty nest can be taken down. They will advise on what is possible.

Dry leaf litter is a good thing for wildlife, so you do not need to clear every last leaf. A tidy-looking garden and a wildlife-friendly one can be the same garden, provided you keep the structure sound and the gaps in buildings closed.

Getting help

If wasps have started a nest in spring or summer, contact Wasp Nest Removal Essex on 01245 327274 or use the booking form on our contact page. The price is a fixed £90 per nest, with one visit guaranteed, and a further nest on the same property is priced at £35 per nest.

We are open seven days a week, offer same-day service and cover domestic and commercial customers, fully insured. If anyone in the household is allergic to wasp stings, say so when you book.

A queen found in a house in winter can be moved gently outside to a sheltered spot, using a card and a cup.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for High Beach