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

Ground nests collapse each autumn and leave only a hole, and understanding what that hole means helps you spot a new one in the spring.

The nest that was never visible

A great many nests are never seen at all. Wasps use holes in the ground, often old burrows made by small animals, and the first sign is a trickle of insects flying in and out of a small hole in a lawn, a bank or a border. Mowing over one is a common way to find it.

When autumn comes the colony dies and the underground chamber is abandoned. If you dig it up you would find a paper structure inside that has been left to rot. There is no reuse. Next spring, a queen starts again, and she may or may not choose the same sort of hole.

For people in Mundon who have noticed an odd hole in the lawn and wonder whether it is a leftover, the clue is whether wasps are using it right now. In winter, an empty hole is simply an empty hole.

It is the same story with banks beside a path or the edge of a flower bed, where soil is loose and easy to dig into.

Spotting an active ground nest

In summer the signs are clear if you take a moment to look. Wasps arrive and depart from one spot, often flying low and straight, with a regular rhythm that is nothing like the random drift of a foraging insect. The entrance may be a hole the size of a coin, with a little loose soil around it.

• Stand well back and watch for several minutes.
• Look for repeated flight paths to the same point.
• Mark the spot from a distance, using a stake or marker placed at arm’s length with a long handle.
• Keep children, pets and mowers away.

Avoid pouring anything into the hole. It will not help and may provoke wasps.

Photograph the spot from a distance if you can, as it helps the technician find it on arrival.

What leaves a hole behind

After the colony has gone the entrance may collapse, or it may remain as a neat hole. You do not need to rush to fill it, but it does no harm to do so once you are sure it is empty. Late autumn and winter, when the soil is cold and wet, is the safest time.

Avoid filling any hole in warm weather unless you have confirmed there is nothing using it. A blocked entrance with wasps inside can send them digging elsewhere, and elsewhere might be closer to the house.

The same goes for animal burrows, which are the holes queens tend to adopt. If you have a bank with a number of openings, they are all candidates, and watching from a distance each April will tell you which ones are in use.

Rabbit scrapes, vole runs and old mole tunnels are all used from time to time, so a lawn with a lot of burrowing wildlife has more candidates than one without. Seeing a hole is not a reason to panic. Watching it for a few minutes on a mild day tells you whether it is occupied.

Making a lawn less appealing

You cannot make a garden queen-proof, but you can adjust the odds. Keep banks and the base of walls clear of heavy undergrowth so holes are easy to see. Fill unwanted holes in the cold months. Where you have a compost heap or heap of logs, check it carefully in spring before disturbing it.

Regular mowing in April and May helps, because you will see small holes and notice wasp activity before the colony grows. Keep your eyes on the ground when walking across rough grass.

If you find yourself stung while mowing, wash the sting, remove the sting if visible and apply a cold pack. Seek help immediately by calling 999 if there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash.

Rough ground, field edges and the spaces behind outbuildings are the least visited parts of a plot, and they are where underground nests often go unnoticed. Walk them occasionally in spring, wearing sturdy footwear, and look as much as you listen.

If you maintain larger grounds, a regular route with a few fixed stopping points makes patterns easy to notice from year to year, and it means that nobody is surprised by a nest during a mowing round.

Pets, children and the school-holiday lawn

Summer holidays put people on the lawn just when colonies are largest. Children run, dogs dig and paddling pools get dragged to new spots, and an unseen nest in the turf can be stepped on before anyone knows it exists. A quick walk over the garden before the day starts, looking for a small hole with traffic, takes a minute and spares a lot of trouble.

Teach children early that a hole with wasps coming and going is somewhere to stay well away from, and keep dogs on a lead near any spot you are unsure about. If a pet is stung, check for swelling of the face, and contact a vet if it seems unwell.

Bare patches in a lawn where grass has been trampled can also hide an entrance, so look at the odd-looking spots, not only the obvious holes.

Booking help for a ground nest

Ground nests are among the most common reasons people call us, partly because they are so easy to disturb. If you suspect one, keep clear and get in touch on 01245 327274, or use the online form on the contact page.

Treatment is a fixed £90 per nest, one visit guaranteed, and a further nest on the same property is £35 per nest. We are open seven days a week, offer same-day service and work for domestic and commercial customers. If anyone in the household is allergic to wasp stings, say so when you book so the visit can be prioritised.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Mundon