Wasp nest in ground

[Peasgood]

11 hours ago, Muddy42 said:

 

Thanks, that's what I am worried about - that the queen will survive. I think I'll get a cheap bee suit and remove everything in the depths of winter.

You will be wasting your time, they won't reuse the nest and neither the queen or any others will overwinter in it. The non queens (workers) die off at this time of year and the new queens that overwinter to start new nests have already left. I am already finding overwintering queens in their dormant state in the logpile and elsewhere.