Wasp nest in garden wall

Gen.Zhukov

I've recently noticed a presumed nest in a wall. There's some mortar missing between 2 cavity blocks. I'm presuming the actual nest is in one of the cavities in the block above the entrance. It's a really busy spot - (20+ coming and going within 15 secs) It's an awkward position to get to - raised bed overhanging plants etc.

If were to get on my hands and knees and start poking about, I'd say I'd be savaged by 50+ returning wasps within a minute. I haven't been able to see one close up but they strike me as being a bit darker and faster than a standard wasp (if that makes any sense) I might try to do a little vid later

Any ideas? Thanks.

El Gato De Negocios

Spray some expanding foam into the gap.

wildwillow

Unless they are interfering with your enjoyment of the garden, just let them be and then seal the crack in the winter with some plaster or other sealant. I've had them in the garden over the years and they won't bother you especially if it's not an area you use much or if you don't have children near it.

DO NOT ATTACK it now or try to spray anything on it, you will get hundreds of angry wasps swarming around you.

If it has to be removed, ask the professional pest control people to do it safely. You really don't want angry wasps attacking you.

They sound like bees, not wasps

Gen.Zhukov

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119475340#Comment_119475340

Thanks everyone.

Yeah, tbh they're not really causing a problem as such. It's fairly close to my shed where I'd be a fair bit. I am a live and let live type in general hence the thread. Anyone know when their cycle ends and they've finished doing their thing?

The expanding foam is a good idea for sealing it eventually alright.

Wasps-v-bees? I just can't get close enough to id them for sure. I have plenty of bees knocking about and actively encourage them, but my bees are larger than these lads. I wasn't aware of bees nesting in such a place. I have seen wasps nest in an identical situ as I have now. Also, my bees are active right beside this nest on a plant that they like, but the nest dwellers have zero interest in it.

I tried a vid but it's not great (bad light etc)

https://streamable.com/lsvdy0

wildwillow

They are dormant or gone once the activity dies down. I wouldn't be a fan of the expanding foam as they can burrow through it. You need to seal it and any other holes with something like Tech 7.

A few years ago wasps set up a nest in the space between my meter box and wall. I sealed it in late autumn and had no problems afterwards. Reading the meter was an interesting experience, mostly done at night fall!!

loyatemu

we had similar a few years back (def wasps) but very near our kitchen door so I couldn't just leave it. Got some powdery stuff from the hardware store and spread it around the entrance at night when they were quiet. It was very effective, the nest was gone within a couple of days (whether the stuff killed them all, or they abandoned the nest, I don't know).

The Continental Op

First thing I noticed wasn't anything to do the the bees/wasps it was the cuts in the leaf just above were the bees/wasps are going in and out.

The cut sections in the leaf go to show you also have solitary leaf cutter bee's in the area https://www.rhs.org.uk/biodiversity/leaf-cutting-bees because of that I think its better to leave the bees/wasps in the wall alone.

The look like bees to me anyway so I'd leave them alone for that reason. If however you can prove 100% they are wasps then the simplest way to get rid of them is to put a couple of grass boxes full of fresh grass cuttings over the entrance. I used to be a full time gardener on an estate that used to get loads of wasp nests in the dry sandy soil of banks around the garden every year - the grass cuttings trick always worked.

Alun

It's difficult to see clearly on the video, but those don't look like wasps to me, they look too small and the wrong colour. More likely to be bees of some sort I'd say, and would therefore be inclined to leave them be if they're not causing any issues.

Jim_Hodge

Definitely not the flight pattern of wasps. It's not sharp enough to be sure but the movement suggests bees or even flies.

mondeoman72

Could be a crazy idea, but they look a bit like flying ants.

Gen.Zhukov

@The Continental Op That's interesting alright about the leaf cutter bees although that type of damage is not widespread

Bigger pic of that plant? inc a std bee in the middle

This plant and a fuchsia opposite are losing the run of themselves and I leave them until the bees are gone.

I'm 99% sure the nest is wasps though. The light was a bit better earlier and as they zoomed past my head back to the nest, I caught a gimps of their yellow asses. To get more light in there, I would have to start hacking the plant out of the way...which may not end well.

I'm forming a cunning plan here - I have a 2mtr long endoscope camera (€10) which I could tape to a stick and sneak it up to the entrance in a covert surveillance op 😎

standardg60

Certainly don't look like common wasps anyway (there are other species here) and may not even sting so I'd just leave them be

Ulmus

They have the zig-zag flight pattern of flies. Maybe there's something dead in the wall! They don't look like wasps or bees.

Citizen Six

Put your phone on a long stick to get a closer look. Slow mo can work well for this also.

The bee in the picture you posted looks like a bumblebee, not a honey bee.

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119478189#Comment_119478189

It seemed a bit daft to say it was flies after something dead in the wall but that was also my first thought.

Gen.Zhukov

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119478241#Comment_119478241

I'll be deploying one of these bad boys into the hot zone. Maybe we can have a nest reveal party tomorrow 🙂

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119478669#Comment_119478669

To be honest a fisheye view inside a nest won't be as good as a few shots of the adults outside. They look like flies and the photo of the Pheasant Berry earlier has a Bumblebee not a bee. Even a sound recording would add value.

Mo Ghile Mear

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119477613#Comment_119477613

That's what I thought too

The Continental Op

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119478669#Comment_119478669

You can call it your Yelnya Offensive.

Ouch Chinese Byrne

They are wasps

Danzy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119479081#Comment_119479081

They don't look like Wasps, don't fly like Wasps.

Hard to tell, don't think that they are honey bees either.

Citizen Six

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119479081#Comment_119479081

You don't know that. Better wait until there's clearer footage.

Ulmus

Wasps more likely.

fryup

its very hard to tell, if they were wasps you'd see a yellow tinge as they fly

OP - anyway of getting the camera closer? or maybe take a swipe with a long stick to kill one

Gen.Zhukov

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119479040#Comment_119479040

Class 😁 - I'm really hoping to avoid another Stalingrad situation which was tough, but panned out well in the end.

The plan for later on is get the cam up close to the entrance and get stills and hopefully a video. I'll try to get s better shot of the bees that frequent the Pheasant Berry plant (cheers for the id there @Jim_Hodge) and get an id of which bee type that is.

A bumblebee afaiac is one of these (below) which is a still of a vid I took during a successful rescue (sugar/water trick) thread I had here a few years ago

Jim_Hodge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119479081#Comment_119479081

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119479665#Comment_119479665

@Ouch Chinese Byrne please let us know what makes you so definite that they are wasps when they neither move like nor look like wasps?

@Gen.Zhukov That's just one of many types of Bumblebee. They come in many colours and sizes.

Citizen Six

There's different types, and sizes, of Bumblebee. And honeybees will be a lot smaller that the one you have pictured.

looksee

They fly a bit like cluster flies, which like cracks in walls. I can't see the individual insects to be any way sure though. More likely to be some sort of wasps or bees I suppose.

We have just had a(nother) cluster fly mageddon.

Ouch Chinese Byrne

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119479970#Comment_119479970

They are clearly wasps.

they move like wasps and have yellow bodies

Citizen Six

They only thing that's clear is that they can fly. 🤣