In message .com,
Flummoxed writes
Hi folks

I know this topic has come up before, but we have a massive wasps nest
in the loft. I realised it was there in the summer, but I thought I'd
wait till winter to get rid of it, then try to seal up the holes where
they get in, following previous advice in this group.

I gather that by December the wasps would normally be dead, but because
of the mild weather we had (apart from the recent cold snap) they may
still be alive. I still find the odd drowsy looking wasp around. Can
anyone tell me when would be teh best time to remove it, when I can be
sure they're dead? I don't want to risk doing it too soon, and disturb
them (not to mention getting stung!), but if I leave it till too late
next year, the queen wasp might be active building a new nest - any
idea when they start doing that (I guess it depends on the weather)?

If it's any help, I had half a dozen wasps in the front garden this
morning - not queens - which is most unusual for this time of year. (I
think. - Someone else may know better).
Is there a time when they would be guaranteed to be dead, e.g. Jan or
Feb?

Possibly...... I believe the queens leave the nest in autumn, already
carrying fertilised eggs, and hibernate, starting a new nest in pairs
of queens in the spring.

To quote Robert in another group 'but what would I know?' but I hope
this helps.
--
June Hughes