How can I encourage a nest building wasp to move on?

[DorcasLanesOneWeakness]

Not sure this is quite the right place as not strictly plants, but a broody wasp.
She's just begun to spin a new nest in my shed ceiling, and I haven't got the heart to swat her or squish the little nest. But I use the shed all the time and don't think we can happily coexist.
How might I move it? Or deter her from continuing and to move elsewhere? Might smoking her out work, making the shed so unattractive and smoky that she relocates?

You need to do something sharpish.
The wasp that started building a nest in my shed started dive bombing me when I tried to reach in for any tools. I had no option in the end, much as I hated to do it, but spray her and the nest with raid.
She would not be dissuaded or moved.
It was quite terrifying in the end!

Sorry I don’t have better advice.

Delete and block.

Try spraying with a solution of natural oils. I believe peppermint oil is a good option to deter wasps. Or try a few drops of Olbas oil if you have some to hand.

If you want the wasp to build a new nest elsewhere, I don’t really see why you’d be against damaging the current nest. The end result is the same as if you just somehow repelled it away - a new nest needs to be build.

But if you really don’t want to, very strong peppermint oil might work as wasps are supposed to not like it, or a decoy nest as they won’t build near an existing one.

Hang a Waspinator near the new nest and another outside the shed. (I tried to add a link to it but kept getting an error message). You can get them online or from most garden/diy shops.

Burn the shed down, that'll shift it.

Thanks. I've been trying to fumigate it with Nag Champa all afternoon, but will go and tape a cotton wool ball infused with peppermint oil and Olbas Oil next to the nest now. My shed is going to smell like a Glastonbury apothecary... I'll update on progress in tomorrow.

Death is really too good for them, they will eat your shed and attack you eventually.

At the very least you should break the proto- nest and quickly.

I hate wasps second only to mosquitos, I know they have their place in the ecosystem but sorry not sorry.

Blast the nest with cold water from the hose at sunset for five minutes. The cold will stun the wasps.
Knock it down with a broom and sweep it into the middle of the yard.

Leave.

They will move on.

(this only works on a tiny nest of no more than 5cm in diameter)

I was once kind to some wasps who had set up home in my shed. They have to live somewhere I thought, I'll leave them be. Then I needed something in the shed. I was quiet, moved slowly, stayed outside the shed and managed to slide the item out. Out of nowhere came a wasp flying directly at me and stung me under the eye. I bought some wasp spray and I went out at dusk when they are sleepy, fully covered, including my face (ski goggles, scarf) and I sprayed that nest. The next morning I just had to sweep it up and put in the bin. It was a shame but I thought their behaviour entirely unreasonable! I say show no mercy, you may end up regretting it if you don't.

Towards the end of the day if I know that the wasp has gone out for more wood and I can see there's nothing in the partially built nest I'll hoe it off the shed ceiling into a bucket to be relocated.

They may have a place in the ecosystem but that ecosystem doesn’t necessarily have to be in your shed. Fire is your friend 😉😁.

OK, I'm catching the general consensus here... the nest is definitely a 'proto-nest' at this stage so I'm probably able to just hoe it down into a bucket. Relocation of the nest won't be possible, I suppose -she'll just have to start again. I'll take it into work and show my pupils.

She seems undeterred by my insence fumigation, and cautiously setting alight some old dry grass and twigs in a pot. I went in and tied a little container of peppermint, Olbas and citronella oil right next to the nest, and it did prompt her to come clambering out, so I left. Will go and check again in a bit, and if I feel brave, arm myself with a hoe to poke it down.

Good luck @DorcasLanesOneWeakness

When I said relocate I didn't mean in the Kirsty and Phil sense

I mean, she's in the potting shed at the moment, I suppose she might try relocating into the tool shed across the garden path -it's a whole different ambience in there; think rustic industrial, on a striking reclaimed brick hardstanding with a new layer of roofing-felt in a contrasting shade of anthracite... 😉

Thwack it down. Leave it on the floor for a bit until she's moved on. I had one the same size on the inside of my shed roof a couple of years ago. Best to do it asap so they have time to build another far far away.

Hats off at your attempt to naturally fumigate, although it sounds like you’ve just created a very nice smelling shed!

The sensitivity with which you're approaching this is really quite moving OP.

That's a thing of beauty alright.

I hope she can find an alternative place to build her nest.

It's over. After a couple of run-ins yesterday when I was popping in and out to retrieve equipment, I finally reached for my hoe. A little tap at the base and the nest sailed to the floor like a leaf in autumn, it really was so light. The queen figured things out pretty quickly and half-heartedly gave chase out of the door, but then, movingly, flew back to pick her way over the fallen nest, checking it out. I returned a few times to see whether she'd abandoned it, and as I've not seen her since, I can only assume she's moved on. Thank you, everyone for providing the moral support and practical insights.

Someone i knew was killed after poking a wasps' nest with a stick, it was horrific.

Wasps are great pollinators and their nests should be left alone when possible. However, I had a small nest like you had in my shed, and I did the same thing. Whacked it with a garden implement when she’s not in it, then chucked it out of the shed. They don’t usually return to the same spots.