When Is Wasp Season in Houghton on the Hill?
Fruit trees, windfalls and compost heaps turn a garden into a wasp magnet in late summer, so this guide follows the fruit year alongside the wasp year.
Two calendars that overlap
Gardeners follow the fruit calendar: blossom in spring, ripening in summer, harvest in early autumn. Wasps follow their own, with nests started from late April, depending on how mild the spring has been, a peak in August and a decline in autumn. The two overlap, and the overlap is where problems arise.
If you have apple, plum or pear trees in Houghton on the Hill, in Leicestershire, or even a few raspberry canes, the late-summer fruit crop and the busiest weeks of the wasp year arrive together.
It is worth remembering that wasps do useful work as well. They catch insects to feed their young, which is part of the reason they are common in gardens. The trouble starts when a nest is too close to where people live and eat. That is the point at which treating it becomes sensible.
Spring: blossom and the first wasps
In spring, the trees are in flower and the nests are small. You may see the odd wasp visiting blossom or a shrub, but there is no great concern. This is the time to walk around the garden and look at where a nest might start: the base of an old tree, a hollow trunk, a hedge bottom or the compost area.
A queen starting a nest in a compost bin or in a hole at the foot of a tree is easy to miss, because everything is quiet. Check on warm days and note anything unusual.
Hollow tree trunks and rotting stumps are also worth a look. A wasp that vanishes into a crack in an old trunk is likely to have a nest inside. Fruit trees that have been pruned leave open cuts that can form cavities, so check the wounds as well as the branches.
Hedges that border an orchard or vegetable patch are another popular place. Look at the base of the hedge on a warm day, from a distance, and watch for wasps going into the bank.
Summer: fruit begins to ripen
As fruit swells and ripens, some of it splits or drops. The sugars attract wasps, and by July and August there may be several on each fallen piece. A nest can hold 2,000 to 10,000 wasps or more by August, so the number of foragers is high.
Some habits that help:
- Pick up windfalls daily and put them in a lidded bin, not on the compost heap.
- Harvest ripe fruit promptly instead of letting it hang.
- Check the fruit before you bite into it.
- Wear shoes when walking under trees.
- Keep children away from piles of rotting fruit.
If the number of wasps on the fruit seems high, follow their flight line from a distance to find where they are going.
If you sell produce or run a small stall, the effect of wasps on fruit is a nuisance for your customers too. Keep the display covered and move damaged fruit out of sight. A bin of rotting windfalls next to the stall is an invitation.
Pets are tempted by fallen fruit as well, and a dog that snaps at a wasp may be stung. Rake windfalls up promptly and keep animals away from piles of fruit.
Compost and the autumn peak of sugar-seeking
In late summer wasps are more interested in sweet things for themselves, and a compost bin with fruit waste is a ready source. A bin that is left open or half rotted can host a steady line of wasps.
Turn waste regularly, bury fruit at the centre and keep a lid or cover on the bin. Keep it away from the back door and seating if you can.
Remember that wasps in the compost may be coming from a nest nearby, so watch where they go when they leave.
A good rule is to finish the sweetest tasks early in the day, when fewer wasps are active, and to leave heavy clear-ups to a time when you can see what you are doing. Wear closed shoes and gloves when handling bruised fruit, and look at each piece before picking it up.
When the harvest is over
By autumn the colony declines, and the wasps become less of a problem. If you found a nest, note where it was. Ask the technician at booking whether the empty nest can be taken down, and tidy up fallen fruit so that nothing is left to draw them in next year.
A nest close to your harvest area should be dealt with before picking begins, as nobody wants to be on a ladder next to thousands of wasps.
Keep the compost bin tidy through autumn. A pile of fruit waste in October can still attract the last of the wasps, and clearing it is part of putting the garden to bed for the year.
If you grow soft fruit such as raspberries or blackcurrants, the same applies to the canes. Pick on cooler mornings, check the underside of leaves and keep a basket with a cover so wasps do not follow you to the house.
Booking help
Call 0116 214 9259 or use the booking form on the contact page. The fixed price is £95 per nest, with £35 for an additional nest on the same property, confirmed on the phone before a technician visits. We work seven days a week and offer same-day service, with no call-out charge.
Our technicians are trained and fully insured, and we deal with domestic and commercial customers. Tell us if anyone is allergic to stings.
It is sensible to mention the ladder question when you phone. If a nest is in a tree you want to pick, tell us where it is so that we can arrange access.
Wasps on your property in Houghton on the Hill?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.