Yes, it is different, although I did say to my husband that A) we know where it is, so we can be mindful. At least the children and us all spend time out the back and not out the front.
All we do is come and go. I am in two minds. I feel like why do we have the right to destroy their nest? The nest is completely amazing! I've seen it. What clever critters they are.
At the end of the day, it is your decision. If you are happy with the situation at the moment, then l would leave them be. It may be worth putting a note by the front door (if you haven't already done so) that just lets visitors such as the postman know that there is a wasp nest in the vicinity. It may be that there are people who are allergic to wasp stings and are then aware of any risk. If it's secure and you're happy to let them, you could ask visitors to come to the back door if they have any concerns.
As the Summer wears on the wasps may become more aggressive and you might have to think about what action to take, but that situation may only be for a short while. If they can get into the bedroom through the vent, it may make things very difficult
I understand your predicament Jemima. We had a wasps nest in the roof of our front porch and the entrance to it was in the eaves just round the corner (about 1.5m away) from the front door.
We were able to leave them alone but I did keep a close eye to ensure they weren't 'getting out of hand'. By autumn they'd gone and we sealed the access point into the roof.
If you and your family can live with them, that's great for everyone but I do agree with Annie D about alerting visitors to their presence. Some people have life threatening allergies to wasp stings - so you sort of have a duty of care to put up a sign.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
I understand your predicament Jemima. We had a wasps nest in the roof of our front porch and the entrance to it was in the eaves just round the corner (about 1.5m away) from the front door.
We were able to leave them alone but I did keep a close eye to ensure they weren't 'getting out of hand'. By autumn they'd gone and we sealed the access point into the roof.
If you and your family can live with them, that's great for everyone but I do agree with Annie D about alerting visitors to their presence. Some people have life threatening allergies to wasp stings - so you sort of have a duty of care to put up a sign.
Yes, I am going to make a sign. I have told the local food delivery guy about the nest, and will let him know that I will leave out the box for him to collect by the front of the drive.
We will continue to keep a close eye on the nest, and how many are around. At the mo they are buzzing right by me, ignoring me completely, on a mission to get to the nest.
That is good to hear that you didn't experience a problem with your nest - I am assuming you had to walk under it or near it most days?
I thought that a wasps' nest between roof slates and roofing felt would be no problem. Until winter when in a storm, wind-driven rain blew under the slates and couldn't run down the felt......it backed up and poured out higher up.
Yes - whenever we used the front door we were very near it.
The porch is a mini room which juts out from the house with 3 outside walls and its own sloped roof over. The front door is on the front elevation and access to the nest (which was in the porch roof space) was just round the corner on one of the side elevations. From my head height (I'm very short) the distance to buzzing wasps would have been about 1.5m. Less for anyone taller.
Heaven is ... sitting in the garden with a G&T and a cat while watching the sun go down
Just to say that we ended up letting the wasps stay, they were no bother whatsoever, even though right outside our front door. It is now winter and the nest is magnificent. It no longer has residents.
Although I am wondering, do we detach it somehow as I would love to study the inside! Or will the Queen wasp be hibernating in there? I am assuming she finds somewhere else to hibernate... but I definitely wouldn't want to disturb a wasp if it was still there! There is no activity.
Indeed they are @jemimarose I had bees nesting in the hog house last year, so made a purpose built 'box' for them. The wasps moved in instead There was still a few in there when I took the pic [early October] but all gone a few weeks later. I had another nest under a shrub in a raised bed, which they accessed from the other side of the fence it's against. I might have a dig around in there at some point to see what it's like.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
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It may be worth putting a note by the front door (if you haven't already done so) that just lets visitors such as the postman know that there is a wasp nest in the vicinity. It may be that there are people who are allergic to wasp stings and are then aware of any risk. If it's secure and you're happy to let them, you could ask visitors to come to the back door if they have any concerns.
As the Summer wears on the wasps may become more aggressive and you might have to think about what action to take, but that situation may only be for a short while. If they can get into the bedroom through the vent, it may make things very difficult
We were able to leave them alone but I did keep a close eye to ensure they weren't 'getting out of hand'. By autumn they'd gone and we sealed the access point into the roof.
If you and your family can live with them, that's great for everyone but I do agree with Annie D about alerting visitors to their presence. Some people have life threatening allergies to wasp stings - so you sort of have a duty of care to put up a sign.
Until winter when in a storm, wind-driven rain blew under the slates and couldn't run down the felt......it backed up and poured out higher up.
The porch is a mini room which juts out from the house with 3 outside walls and its own sloped roof over. The front door is on the front elevation and access to the nest (which was in the porch roof space) was just round the corner on one of the side elevations. From my head height (I'm very short) the distance to buzzing wasps would have been about 1.5m. Less for anyone taller.
Indeed they are @jemimarose
I had bees nesting in the hog house last year, so made a purpose built 'box' for them. The wasps moved in instead
There was still a few in there when I took the pic [early October] but all gone a few weeks later.
I had another nest under a shrub in a raised bed, which they accessed from the other side of the fence it's against. I might have a dig around in there at some point to see what it's like.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...