Wasp Nest in a Hedge or Bush – What Nottingham Garden Owners Should Know
If you rent your home and the wasp nest is in a hedge or shrub in the garden, there are a few sensible questions to settle before you pick up the phone.
A nest in a rented garden
When you own a house, a wasp nest in the hedge is simply your problem. When you rent, it is less obvious. The hedge belongs to the landlord, the garden is yours to use, and the wasps are on your doorstep. Most tenants wonder who is supposed to do something about it.
The answer depends on your tenancy agreement, and we cannot tell you what yours says. What we can say is that the safety issue does not wait while that is worked out. A nest near the back door is a risk to you and your family now, whatever the paperwork says.
Nottingham is a city in the East Midlands with rented homes of every kind, from terraced houses with small yards to flats with shared gardens, and the same short list of steps applies across the lot of them.
First, protect the household
Before you contact anyone, make sure nobody is at risk. Keep the household away from the hedge or shrub and make sure children and pets know where they should not go. Do not trim or tidy the plant, even if you are the one who normally cuts it.
If the nest is close to a door or window, keep that door shut, particularly in the warmest part of the day. Keep bins closed and clear away anything sweet from the garden.
- Do not touch, poke at or soak the nest.
- Do not block the entrance.
- Do not start trimming ‘just to see’.
- Note the exact spot and take a photo from a long way off if you can.
A few minutes spent on this puts you in a good position whatever happens next.
Then, tell the landlord or agent
It is sensible to let the person who manages the property know, in writing if you can, such as a text or email. Say where the nest is, when you first noticed it and that you are keeping away from it. A dated record is useful whatever follows.
Ask whether they would like to arrange treatment or whether you should go ahead. Some agreements put garden matters on the tenant and others on the landlord, and some leave it to whoever is quicker. If you are told to arrange it yourself, that is not unusual, and you can do so and ask about reimbursement afterwards, but that is a matter between you and them.
We cannot advise on your rights or on what any insurance policy covers. For that, read the tenancy agreement, ask the agent, or contact a local tenants’ advice service. What we can do is carry out the treatment safely, and tell you what to expect.
Shared gardens and communal hedges
In a block of flats or a shared house, a hedge may be communal. The management company or the landlord will usually be the right person to agree to treatment, and your neighbours should also be told.
If you are in a shared space, ask them not to trim the hedge until it has been dealt with, and put a note on the communal door if the nest is near an entrance. Residents who do not know about the nest are the ones most likely to be stung.
When you ring us, mention that the garden is shared and who will be on site for the visit. That avoids a technician arriving to find nobody who can show them the spot or agree to the work.
Safety first if someone is stung
Wash the sting, remove it if it is visible and apply a cold pack. Dial 999 for a swollen face, lips or throat, wheeze or trouble breathing, dizziness or a rash spreading over the body. Anyone known to be allergic should speak to their GP about it, and should tell us at the time of booking so we can take it into account.
Wasps start building from late April and the colony peaks in August, so a nest found in summer is probably at its largest and most active. Acting quickly keeps down the chance of a sting.
Moving in, moving out, and handovers
Wasp nests also cause trouble at changeovers. A tenant moving out in late summer may find a nest in the hedge just as the property is due to be inspected, or a new tenant may arrive to find wasps at the front door in their first week.
If you are on either side of a handover, record the situation with dated notes and photographs taken from a distance. The point is to keep the facts straight and show you were careful, not to argue over blame.
A nest in the garden does not need to stop a move or an inspection, but nobody should be walking past a hedge with a busy entrance. If an agent is due to visit, tell them beforehand where the nest is, so they and any contractors keep away from it.
Treatment before an inspection or move is the tidy way to deal with it. The technician can often attend on the same day we are contacted, and the price is the same whatever the circumstances.
Booking and what happens next
Treating a nest costs £95 per nest and a second nest at the same property is £35 each, with no call-out charge on top. Same-day service is on offer, bookings are taken seven days a week, and the technicians who attend are trained and fully insured. Homes, flats and commercial premises are all covered.
Telephone 0116 214 9259 or use the booking form on the contact page. Before the visit is arranged the price is confirmed over the phone, and no work is done until you agree to it.
Once the nest has been treated, the technician will tell you when the hedge is fine to trim again. If you would like the empty nest taken down, ask when you book whether that can be done, and check with your landlord that they are happy for it to be removed.
Wasps on your property in Nottingham?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.