Are Wasps Dangerous? Understanding Stings and Nest Disturbance in Mapperley
Many serious wasp encounters start with a routine garden job, because the vibration of machinery can alarm a colony long before the person holding it spots the nest.
The stings that start with a chore
Ask people who have been stung badly by a wasp nest and many will tell you the same story. They were cutting the grass, trimming a hedge or clearing a corner of the garden, and they had no idea anything was there. Within seconds they were surrounded.
Wasps sense vibration through the ground and through branches and walls. A nest does not need to be touched to be disturbed. The hum of a mower passing close to a ground entrance, or a hedge-trimmer shaking the branches that hold a nest, tells the colony something large is attacking, and the guards respond accordingly.
That is why it makes sense to treat any wasp sighting in the garden as information, before you pick up a machine.
The same applies to jobs that seem quiet. Trowelling around the base of a hedge, lifting an old paving slab or moving a pile of firewood can all disturb a nest, because the nest sits just below or behind the thing you are moving.
Strimmers and leaf blowers deserve a special mention. They are loud, they move quickly and they work close to the ground and hedge bases where nests are often hidden. A quick walk-round with your eyes open takes a couple of minutes and can save you a hospital visit.
If you do uncover a nest, stop at once. Do not drop everything and run in a blind panic, but move steadily away, keeping your arms close.
Jobs that most often provoke a nest
The following tasks cause the most trouble, particularly from late spring to early autumn:
- Mowing or strimming long grass, banks and edges where a ground nest could be hidden.
- Cutting hedges, climbers and dense shrubs, in which nests are sometimes built.
- Clearing sheds, log piles, compost heaps and stacks of old pots.
- Pressure-washing walls, fences and the underside of eaves.
- Pulling ivy from a wall or removing a creeper from a gutter.
Before you start, spend a minute simply watching the area. Wasps flying in a regular line to one point are usually heading to a nest.
If you employ a gardener or a tree surgeon, mention any wasp activity you have noticed before they start. A professional will usually stop and wait if they see signs of a nest, but they cannot act on what they have not been told.
What to do if you spot activity first
If you see a pattern of wasps going in or out of the grass, a bush or a gap, stop the machine and leave the area calmly. Do not go back to see what is there, and do not mark the spot by standing near it. Make a note from a distance of where it is, and keep other people and pets away from the zone.
Leave the job unfinished for now. A half-cut hedge is a minor inconvenience compared with a mass of angry wasps. We can treat the nest, after which you can complete the work in peace.
Children sometimes want to help with garden jobs, and they are likely to wander. Keep them well back from machinery and from the area you are working in.
If you are caught out
If a nest is disturbed while you are working, drop the equipment if it is safe to do so, shield your face with your arm and walk, or jog if you have to, away from the area in a straight line. Go indoors or into a vehicle and shut the door. Wasps may follow a short way, then lose interest.
Once you are safe, wash any stings, remove any visible sting, and use a cold pack. Call 999 if anyone shows swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheeze or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. If you have been stung many times, seek medical advice even if you feel well.
Do not return to collect the machine until the wasps have settled, and ideally not until the nest has been dealt with.
Wearing long sleeves and trousers when gardening cuts down on bare skin, though it does not make working near a nest safe. A hat and sturdy shoes are sensible too.
What the nest is telling you before the job.
A few quick observations before you start can head off most problems. Look at the base of hedges, the ground near fences and the underside of overhangs for any hint of wasp traffic. Check sheds and covers for papery material. Listen for a buzzing that does not belong to flowers.
If you notice anything, mark the area in your mind and keep people and machinery away. Then call us, rather than finishing the job and hoping for the best. A nest found before disturbance is an easy problem. A nest found by disturbance is not.
Quiet times of year for garden work
Nests start in late April, depending on the weather, and grow through the summer, reaching their peak in August. Garden work in spring is generally lower risk because colonies are small, though a queen may still be starting a nest in a sheltered spot. The later in the summer you work near overgrown areas, the more careful you should be.
Where possible, tackle heavily overgrown corners early in the year, before nests establish. Clear small areas at a time and look carefully before each pass.
Late summer garden clear-ups are the riskiest, since colonies are at their largest and the vegetation at its thickest. If a job can wait until the colony declines in autumn, it often should, but only if you are sure there is nothing in the way.
When you do return to a neglected corner, wear sturdy shoes and trousers, work slowly and watch the ground for movement.
Getting a nest treated in Mapperley
We cover Mapperley, a suburb of Nottingham, and surrounding villages every day of the week, with same-day service available. A trained, fully insured technician treats a wasp nest for a fixed £95 per nest. There is no call-out charge, and an additional nest on the same property is £35 extra. The price is agreed on the phone before the visit and nothing is done unless you say yes.
Call 0115 937 5117 to arrange a visit, or send a request through the contact page form. If anyone in the household is allergic to wasp stings, tell us when you book. We work for homes and businesses.
Wasps on your property in Mapperley?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.