Top News

Wasps are a persistent irritation in gardens across Britain as warmer weather arrives, especially if they choose to establish a nest at your property. When searching for shelter, wasps can become hostile towards humans, and a wasp nest can prove challenging to remove once established, so preventing one from forming initially is far preferable.

Fortunately, there is an economical and simple technique to prevent wasps from constructing a nest in your home, garden, shed or garage. All that's required is a plastic bag and some string. Social media gardening expert @gardening.with.ish has disclosed how these common household items can serve as a wasp deterrent. He said: "What we do is we take the plastic bag, we fold it amongst itself in one corner and we get a nice point."

By folding the bag inwards upon itself, air becomes trapped within. Ish demonstrated how the bag assumes a cone-like form before taking the string and securing the bag closed.

He said: "What you are doing is creating a fake wasp nest because wasps are incredibly territorial, hence why they can feel a little bit aggressive when they are around you. They are defending their space."

Ish clarified that by suspending the plastic bag, which mimics a wasp nest, the insects will assume another colony inhabits the area and relocate elsewhere. The expert added: "They won't go near the space, in fact they will stay away." According to Ish, spring is the ideal time to try this technique, as larger wasps typically begin to appear during this season.

Ish suggests positioning your plastic bag near sheds or suspending it from a tree in your garden.

The principle behind this is that wasps will establish their nests further away from your garden, yet will still return to pollinate your plants and search for food. However, they will be less aggressive as they will perceive rival wasps to already be in the vicinity.

For his hack, Ish used a black bin bag, but he says you can also use a burlap sack or an empty compost bag.

Should you require a new bag to construct your decoy wasp nest, plastic bags are readily available from most major supermarkets and shops for as little as 10p.

Ish added: "As a result, your home will be protected, your plants will still be pollinated, and you didn't use a single chemical."