A Waspy Tale
Are you all enjoying the warm weather here in the U.K.? I do like it, for a day or two then I find it can be overbearing for me and I begin to stink! We have a bird box not far from our front door, a very kind neighbour fitted it to the wall a couple of years after we moved here. We have had birds nest in there including ‘Blue Tits’ and ‘Nuthatches.’
This year though, we haven’t had anything. In fact, it’s been a little disappointing all around as sometimes we have ‘House Martins’ arrive from Africa and nest up under the eaves. However, this year they have decided to move to the house across the road. I told you I was a little stinky from the hot weather.
Yesterday, I spent sometime in the garden, hiding in the shady part where neither the sun or any nosey parkers could find me. To be honest, there wasn’t too much to do, so I found a couple of weeds and pulled them then sat down for a while in the shade of the flowering cherry tree. It’s our neighbours, but it hangs over the fence and provides great shelter when the weather is hot and sunny.
After a while of evaporating, I decided to get myself a glass of cool water and while I was at it, drop the weeds I had picked up into the green waste wheelie bin we keep outside the front of the house. I went to open the lid and noticed two and then three and then a lot more wasps on the lid! I didn’t think anything of it so I shood them away. They never went far as the bird box I was talking about is right above the bin. I looked up and holy moly, the box was covered in the things. All angrily buzzing away in the midday sun.
I didn’t hang about, making a run for the front door and the safety of the house. It’s strange how fast you can run when panic gets hold of you. I would have given Usain Bolt a run for his money. Once inside, I could see the things clambering over each other and wondering what I was going to do next. Feeling safe in the living room, I sat down and ignored them, for a while.
Browsing through Facebook, there’s a forum on there for the area we live and there started appearing lots of messages of ‘HELP, we have a wasps nest setup in the garden, what are we going do, are we all going to die?’ I sat back watching and waiting for someone sensible to write an answer. It didn’t take long and the sensible person said to leave them well alone and they will soon settle down. That’s exactly what happened with our wasps too. I believe it was the heat that played a major part.
They were still there this morning, but very subdued as they have been all day. Now I’m fed up with people knocking the front door and saying, ‘Do you know you’ve got a wasps nest in your birdbox?’ I say thank you very much, I did know then sit back and wait for the next knock on the door. That’s my excitement for this week and I’m pleased to say I have not been stung once.
If you find you have a wasps nest here’s some advice:
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Enjoy the weather! It’s freezing in Sydney.
Thank you, but I think it will change soon. Hope it warms up for you soon. 😊
Many thanks!
Freezing here in Melbourne
Thank you, hopefully it will warm up for you soon. 😊
Thanks Trev
Reminds me of the time I found a hornet’s nest inside the hose wheel. very scary as of course i inadvertently disturbed them. And then the huge nest they built inside a rhodendron at the back of the house. At least two feet long. I dod not disturb that one.
Wow, that is a nest, Josie! Thank you. 😊
Great to know they will go and not return when the season is over. Now you just have to deal with all the free advice from the neighbours.
Thank you. Someone said put jam on my neighbours gate and the wasps would move there. I wouldn’t do that though. 😊
My experienece with wasps was a little different. They did not just gather together and have a buzzy time, no they decided to build a nest in the blind case next to my bedroom window. At the beginning it was just a few wasps buzzing around, but I then realised there was more than a few and they were daily, no hourly, backwards and forwards to my blind. Living alone, I decided I should do something so I called the police, the local Swiss station. No problem, but they said it was not their problem to solve and I should call the fire station. This was the right place it seemed and for the cost of 70 Swiss francs they would come and dispose of the nest. The fireman arrived, just one alone, and sprayed something into the nest. Winthin five minutes there were a few drwsy wasps and within another five seconds they were gone. I would say that was a profitable business for the fireman who came. Of course he put on his mask for protection. This was last year and since I must say I have not seen a wasp since. At the cost of 70 francs for tribe disposal, I am glad.
Wow, money well spent and it seems such an easy solution. Mine have gone quiet since the hot weather, the temperature must have wound them up. Thank you. 😊
When I encounter wasps I allow them their space. Largely because I am very allergic to their stings! It’s too bad about the bird box but no doubt the wasps will move on eventually. Keep cool Trev!
Thank you, Carolyn. I think that’s what I will do. 😊
Yes, ignoring them is a good idea unless they are in the way. Also be careful with food and drinks that contain sugar.
Thank you, John. I have just checked up on them and they are pretty dormant today so they can stay where they are. 😊
Yay for not being stung! I suppose there is a bee expert who can help you get rid of them…
Thank you, John. I will leave them alone for now as they don’t seem any bother at the moment. 😊
The railing on my deck is open on the underside and wasps to nest there. I’ve found a type of wasp trap with sticky strips in it and every summer I hang one on each corner of the deck. No more wasps.
That sounds pretty cool, Susan. Hopefully, these will nest this summer and never return. Thank you. 😊
I can’t breathe in the heat, so I tend to stay indoors with the French doors open. A few years back we had a bee’s nest removed, they’d made it impossible to open the windows. They returned the following year! 🙂
Oh my, that’s awful, Sue. I do hope these don’t return next year and that’s what the experts say. Thank you. 😊
A wasp nest is not fun to have around. Lucky you for not getting stung!
Thank you, Rosaliene and it did bother me initially. 😊
Robert sometimes uses the vacuum cleaner on wasp nests. They are less active at night. We have several very high up. and leave them alone. We have never been stung, although my daughter was once. I think she accidentally hit a nest with her backpack.