Wasps Nest

[Spreeny]

I've just noticed that the hole in one of my bird nesting boxes has almost been blocked off & have seen wasps going in and out...obviously a wasps nest!
Will they just clear off later in the year? Tia

[Sparkles62]

If its easy enough to reach, and you want to get rid of them,
Buy some ant powder, wait until evening, when the wasps are fairly inactive, puff the ant powder into the nest and around the edge, go in and keep dogs and cats in for an hour or two.
check after an hour or so and you will prob see a few dead or dying wasps on the ground around the nest ( most will just die in the nest )
Brush up any on the ground so that animals or children don't pick them up. X
job done. X

[Spreeny]

Bless you, thanks very much ...didn't realise it could be so simple!...off to buy some ant powder! X

[Sparkles62]

I called the council out a few years ago, afterwards I asked the man what he had used and he told me just ant powder, you could have done it yourself,
so I have done, very successfully a few times since then. X

[woofgang]

If the nest isn't near the house then why don't you just leave it be? Wasps are a necessary insect too!

[sunny-dave]

"Wasps are a necessary insect too!"

I debate that - they do nothing (in the UK at least) that is done equally as well (or better) by other insects that don't have malevolent dave-injuring psyches.

[FredPuli43]

No reason to get rid of them and, yes, they will. Some people get paranoid about bees and wasps. Life is not like a 1950s B Horror movie; it is not Attack of the Killer Wasps.

[sunny-dave]

I love bees (and spiders and most other insects, arachnids, creepy crawlies, whatever) - but I have a zero tolerance policy for wasps.

I just don't buy the "leave them alone and they won't hurt you" schtick - been stung too often for no good reason.

[Tilly2]

Have you checked that there are no nestlings in the box?

[Baldric]

They gotta go!!

[Sparkles62]

Unfortunately mine were all too close to the house.
One by the front door
one in the path by the gate
one in the garage roof
and another just over the back door.
too close to us when we have grandchildren and animals in and out all day.X

[FredPuli43]

Hmm. Insects that kill house flies etc but which don't have dave-eating properties? Can't think of any.

In case you are wondering, wasps catch flies to feed their young. They're very crafty at it. They must know that a house fly takes off backwards, because their angle of flight to catch one is about 60 degrees from behind it. When it sees the wasp and takes off, it flies straight into the wasp's path.

[FredPuli43]

Don't think I've ever been stung by a wasp and that is on a farm where wasp nests are quite plentiful. Have by a bee, as a child, when I rolled on it. What are you doing , Dave, to be a victim? If it lands on you just wait for it to leave.It won't sting for the fun of it; it does it defensively, not to kill dave as prey!

[sunny-dave]

Last time I was stung I was committing the crime of buying a newspaper in a paper shop - the stripy barsteward just stung merrily away on my neck - and no, I wasn't "flapping at it", I hadn't even seen it before it attacked.

[Tilly2]

Are you sure there are no birds in the box before you go spraying ant powder about?

[sunny-dave]

I think I must have "large wasp food" stencilled on me somewhere :+)

[sunny-dave]

Yes - I also agree with Tilly - watch/check for nestlings first.

[FredPuli43]

Adult wasps are vegetarian. You don't suppose it was hoping to carry you off to its lair, as food for its young , do you?

[Spreeny]

If there are any nestlings in the box they must be dead by now because the entrance to the box has ben blocked off by the wasps by what looks like wood! So the parents wouldn't be able to get in to feed the chicks or the chicks wouldn't be able to fledge when ready...