Wasp Nest or what please.

[brianholland]

I was amazed, when pruning back honeysuckle, to find this nest. It was unoccupied which was also a surprise to me at this time of year.

Now I do not know if it was made by either wasps, hornets or bees but what I can tell you is that it faced South and we were untroubled by any of the suspects. It is so fragile but beautifully made. (rather like myself!! I joke)

Any ideas please?

[Dogghound]

Yes a wasps nest.

Possibly Vespula germanica

[brianholland]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

Yes a wasps nest.

Possibly Vespula germanica

Thanks Dogghound for your help.

Should it be vacated at this time of year - seems a bit early but then I could be wrong. I am just an interested enthusiast.

My wife got badly stung a few years back so we are relieved we did not even see a wasp in the garden this Summer.

[Roynsam]

Hi
I am a new member of WAB. (This is my first forum entry) and I saw this post regarding the wasp nest.
I am sitting here in my home office accompanied by the constant humming from the wasps nest that exists in the external wall cavity, just under the window.
The wasps have been in residence for about 2 moinths now.
So far - apart from a few of them getting in through a small crack in the window frame and then almost immediately dying - they have not caused me any problems - that I know of.
I have always loved wildlife and I believe in live and let live so I really do not want to cause them any harm.
I am told that they will vacate the nest, en masse within a few more weeks and that they will never return. to the same place and also the presence of the used nest will deter any new colonies from being formed again in the same place.
If this is true, and I was told this by a local naturalist, then maybe the nest you uncovered was one from a previous year.
Anyway, I am hoping the ones at my home will move on without incident.
I have had a few wasp stings when I have been out and about in the past and they have only been minor injuries, I suffer far more from midge and mosquito bites....those little demons seem to love my blood for some reason..

Regards

Roy

[Dogghound]

Originally Posted by brianholland

Thanks Dogghound for your help.

Should it be vacated at this time of year - seems a bit early but then I could be wrong. I am just an interested enthusiast.

My wife got badly stung a few years back so we are relieved we did not even see a wasp in the garden this Summer.

No it should have wasps in at this time of year, this is most likely a nest from a previous year.

[brianholland]

Originally Posted by Roynsam

Hi
I am a new member of WAB. (This is my first forum entry) and I saw this post regarding the wasp nest.
I am sitting here in my home office accompanied by the constant humming from the wasps nest that exists in the external wall cavity, just under the window.
The wasps have been in residence for about 2 moinths now.
So far - apart from a few of them getting in through a small crack in the window frame and then almost immediately dying - they have not caused me any problems - that I know of.
I have always loved wildlife and I believe in live and let live so I really do not want to cause them any harm.
I am told that they will vacate the nest, en masse within a few more weeks and that they will never return. to the same place and also the presence of the used nest will deter any new colonies from being formed again in the same place.
If this is true, and I was told this by a local naturalist, then maybe the nest you uncovered was one from a previous year.
Anyway, I am hoping the ones at my home will move on without incident.
I have had a few wasp stings when I have been out and about in the past and they have only been minor injuries, I suffer far more from midge and mosquito bites....those little demons seem to love my blood for some reason..

Regards

Roy

Roy thanks for such a full response and for the details of your own experience. Most interesting.

This nest was built this year as the honeysuckle was only planted in the early Spring. As you can see I removed it from it's site so maybe the wasps will rturn next year!!

I too am a newish member and find the WAB sire very difficult to understand but I persevere.

Good luck and please keep engaged with forums as they are so helpful.

Brian.

[brianholland]

Originally Posted by Dogghound

No it should have wasps in at this time of year, this is most likely a nest from a previous year.

It was what I thought hence my surprise. I can assue you that the nest was not there last year as the planting had not taken place until this year .
Interesting set of circumstances.

[Jez]

Originally Posted by Roynsam

I am told that they will vacate the nest, en masse within a few more weeks and that they will never return. to the same place and also the presence of the used nest will deter any new colonies from being formed again in the same place.
If this is true, and I was told this by a local naturalist, then maybe the nest you uncovered was one from a previous year.

Some may remember that i uncovered an old nest some months back from the loft space in the spare room. Well this year there back, not in the same place, this time it's the kitchen up in the rafters. They've been making a sound similar to snap crack pop rice crispies which at first lead me to believe that it was baby chicks in the nest box fidgeting about until i went on the roof to take a peak to find unfortunatley 1 empty box and wasps going in and out of the tiniest gap right behind the box. Tree wasps by the looks of it "?" so that solved what was making the noise we could hear, must have been the making of the nest!?! They have been no trouble not 1 has even flown in to our amazement and caused me no need to concern myself when I was up again on the roof a fortnight back painting the exterior! Anyway I'm just glad to read the quote above from Roynsam as it will be a big relief to my mother who has been concerned by there presence regardless of my reassurance that they are doing no actual harm. It will put her mind at rest! So cheers for that

[evilgrayson]

Last year I was under siege in Wales. A young queen really, really wanted to build her nest inside the house. Having failed to manage it in a stack of shelf bits in the 'office', she built a tennis ball on the inside of the bedroom window casement, behind the curtain rail. We stopped that attempt too, but she kept on and on and on. There was a nest above the bay window that had to have its access blocked, and another attempt under the eaves. It was a nightmare, everywhere we turned there was another attempt at a nest.

When the house was stripped out this spring, a huge wasp's nest was found in the roof - and the year before in a house a few hundred yards away, a wasp's nest that wouldn't fit in a bin liner was found along with six football-sized satellite nests.

I viewed wasps as a minor irritant until that point, but them wanting to share the house with us was just too much.

[brianholland]

Originally Posted by evilgrayson

Last year I was under siege in Wales. A young queen really, really wanted to build her nest inside the house. Having failed to manage it in a stack of shelf bits in the 'office', she built a tennis ball on the inside of the bedroom window casement, behind the curtain rail. We stopped that attempt too, but she kept on and on and on. There was a nest above the bay window that had to have its access blocked, and another attempt under the eaves. It was a nightmare, everywhere we turned there was another attempt at a nest.

When the house was stripped out this spring, a huge wasp's nest was found in the roof - and the year before in a house a few hundred yards away, a wasp's nest that wouldn't fit in a bin liner was found along with six football-sized satellite nests.

I viewed wasps as a minor irritant until that point, but them wanting to share the house with us was just too much.

Thank you for such a full account of your experiences with wasps.

I shall be keeping a watchful eye next year to see if they return but as I said we did not see a wasp this year.