HELP! I've disturbed a wasp's nest

[Hedgehoggy]

As I lifted up my son’s slide to clean it, a small wasps’ nest fell to the ground, then a swarm of angry wasps came out to investigate! I had no idea it was there otherwise I would have left the slide alone. I moved the nest to a sheltered location just a few feet away thinking the wasps would find it, but they didn’t, they continued to fly around exactly the same area as where the nest had been, so I put the nest back on the ground where it had fallen and the wasps began flying back into it and even repairing it!

The nest is exposed to all the elements where it is now, and I feel guilty for disturbing them, so I wondered if I should try and move the nest again (but at dusk once all the wasps are inside it) or should I just leave it where it is and let nature take its course?

[Beekeeper]

Wasps like bees locate their nests exactly by noting everything around ther immediate vicinity, if the nest gets moved it throws them into confusion. Where bees are concerned, i move my hives around but if they are being kept in a particular area i can only move them by a couple of foot at a time, very soon one of them will find the new location and signal to the others who then are guided to the new position, i don't think wasps have that ability due to the fact they do not swarm like bees do, once bees have swarmed and made a new home they start all over again noting everything around them, wasps, being that they only live through one season cannot find a nest that has been moved and will eventually give up and die, also any still left in the nest, Queen and young brood will also soon die if the workers cannot find the nest and bring home food. even if you manage to re attach the nest somehow i very much doubt it will have the desired effect especially if you use something to support it, i suppose you could always try some sort of glue but chances are the nest would crumble, i think your idea about nature taking its course is probably the best option.

BK

[ron1863]

Why not give Superglue a try.. a couple of drops and just touch it to where it was before, you have nothing to lose....apart from a few stings perhaps

[Hedgehoggy]

Beekeeper thanks so much for your informative reply, very interesting stuff. Thanks for your suggestion too Ron. I did contemplate gluing the nest back this afternoon, but as it was such a delicate structure consisting of wispy layers I concluded that I’d probably do even more damage, not to mention the risk of being stung whilst holding it in place waiting for the glue to dry! Instead, I quickly put the [buzzing!] nest into a deepish narrow transparent plastic container, laid it on its side and observed from a distance. The wasps came out to investigate and eventually flew back into the plastic container housing their nest and then settled back down. At least for now the nest is protected from the elements. Tomorrow, I’ll have to think of a Phase B! – my son is relying on me to save these wasps and is now fascinated to learn everything about them!

(One of the last wasps to emerge from the nest when it fell to the ground was double the size of the other wasps and was predominantly more yellow in colour, so I presume this may have been the queen wasp.)

[galanthus]

Reading this post has reminded me how lucky I am to be getting my 6-weekly mil of wasp venom in my arm tomoz

[SheffieldLass]

It's nice to hear of people wanting to save a wasps' nest. The usual reaction is to destroy it asap ....

[naturegirl]

Sorry, but I'd run a mile from it.......

Being anaphylactic etc.

Naturegirl (scream!)

[galanthus]

Re-reading this post now with an armfull of wasp venom I feel an enormous admiration for your efforts, I wld be running behind naturegirl myself

[Beekeeper]

Hedgehoggy, it does seem that the queen wasp is the one that emerged from the nest, if she has returned to it, there is always a chance she will survive as without her the occupants die, they become very demoralised and stop feeding, hopefully the worker wasps will accept the nest in the new position but i do have my doubts, it is really nice to read that you son is taking a keen interest and i admire you efforts in trying to save the nest, if you do know of any beekeepers may i suggest you talk to them and ask if your son could be introduced to bees, most beekeepers would be more than willing to share some knowledge with your son and who knows, maybe it will set him on the road to keeping bees for himself, even if that doesnt happen, what you have done so far has obviously instilled an interest in wildlife for you son which hopefully he will carry on into adulthood.

Regards

BK

[Hedgehoggy]

Originally Posted by galanthus

Re-reading this post now with an armfull of wasp venom

That sounds rather painful, Lily! Is it a kind of vaccine to prevent anaphylaxis shock?

BK, you’ll be pleased to hear, as my son is, that so far the wasps have remained in-situ! I hadn’t moved the nest away from its original location, just placed the container on the ground where it had fallen. I forgot to mention in my last post that the ?queen wasp I saw was also the first to re-enter when I returned the nest to where it had fallen. Yesterday I covered the container with my son’s [unused] slide extension and today the wasps are still busy going in and out . Don’t know if the nest will be viable, but that was the best I could do under the circumstances. Will check on the critters in a week’s time to see if they’re still active. In the grander scheme of things, I know they’re only wasps, not rare or endangered, but imho all such critters keep our ecological system ticking along

*My next mission is to locate any local beekeepers to further fuel my son’s interest *

Thanks to all for your comments and replies.