UK Gardeners Told To Hang Plastic Bag In Trees This Spring

From April to May, queen wasps begin to emerge from hibernation and start building their nests.

By July, that nest – originally the size of a golf ball – begins to rapidly increase in size, with more and more adult insects emerging from the cluster. Come August, there could be thousands in the hub.

Luckily, Ish Kamran, also known online as Gardening With Ish, said in a TikTok video that a plastic bag and some string can save a lot of hassle.

To prevent them from forming nests in your home, garden, garage, or shed, take a plastic bin liner and some string. A burlap sack or a compost bag turned inside out could also work.

Fold the top of the bin bag down, pushing air into a single corner, until you’ve got an upside-down teardrop-shaped bag corner that looks like a piping bag, with a triangular point at the end.

Tie the end of the bin bag with the string to make “a fake wasp’s nest,” the gardening pro shared.

“Wasps are incredibly territorial; hence, they can feel a little aggressive when they’re around you. They’re defending their space,” he added.

In theory, the dummy wasp’s nest will trick any prospective nesters into thinking another group has already claimed the area.

“Springtime’s a really good time to do this,” the gardening expert added, “because you’ll start seeing really, really big wasps” which are “scouting to make their new home”.

A fake nest hung in a tree or shed could keep them at bay without keeping them so far off that they stop pollinating your plants, he added. Wasps also nest in roof spaces, wall cavities, earth banks, and bushes.

BBC Gardener’s World recommends a similar method, saying, “as wasps are territorial, if they think an active nest is in your garden, they will avoid it”.

Don’t leave barbecues unattended, as wasps can take scraps of food to feed their grubs. The same is true of pet food.

Seal bins properly and patch up cracks around the foundation of your home.

Consider planting wasp-repellent plants like marigolds, pennyroyal, or geraniums in your garden, too.