Wasp Nests Under Roof Tiles – A Common Problem for Barfrestone Homes
The junction between a chimney stack and the roof has joints, flashings and mortar that age and open. Wasps find them. Here is what to look for and what to avoid.
Where a stack meets the roof
A chimney stack stands up through the roof, and at its base there is a join between brickwork and tiles. It is sealed with lead or other flashing and with mortar. Over time the mortar cracks, the flashing lifts at an edge and small gaps appear.
Those gaps lead into the roof space around the stack, which is warm from the sun and often from the chimney too. It makes an appealing site for a wasp in spring.
A nest here is awkward, because the stack is a prominent feature, and because the roof around it is hard to reach.
The corner where brick meets tile is also sheltered from rain, so it offers a dry cavity of the kind a wasp is searching for in spring.
Signs from the ground
The first sign is usually wasp traffic around the base of the stack. Look from a distance with binoculars or a phone camera.
- Wasps entering at the foot of the chimney, between the brick and the tiles.
- A stream of wasps landing on the lead flashing and disappearing beneath it.
- Wasps around the top of the stack, which can look like a nest in the chimney when the entry is lower down.
- A hum audible from the room beside the chimney breast.
Do not assume the nest is inside the flue. In most cases the wasps are using the roof space beside it.
Note which side of the stack the wasps use, and whether the traffic is at the base or higher up. A clear note on the position saves a lot of time on the day.
Take photographs from two sides if you can, because a stack looks quite different from the front and the back, and the technician may see an entry that you missed.
Chimney and fireplace questions
Wasps near a chimney sometimes lead people to wonder whether they will appear in the fireplace. It can happen if the colony finds a route inside. If wasps are coming into a room through the fireplace, keep the room closed and tell the office.
Do not light a fire to drive wasps out. Smoke and heat in a chimney with a nest nearby may be dangerous, and it does not reliably remove the colony.
If you use a wood burner, hold off until the nest has been treated, then ask a chimney sweep to check the flue.
A cap or pot on the top of the chimney may attract the odd wasp, but a stream of them going in and out of a flue is a different matter, and should be described to the office.
Why the stack is not a place for you
The roof near a chimney is steep and awkward. Lead flashing can be slippery, and tiles around the stack are often old or loose. Getting to the base of a chimney means working above the nest on a slope.
It is also not a place for a stepladder from the gutter. A ladder placed so that it just reaches the stack would put you at a distance from the wall, leaning outwards. If you were stung, a fall would be very likely.
The technician has the access equipment and the training to work there. Leave it to them.
Chimney work is generally a specialist job, even before wasps are involved. A nest only makes it more so.
The base of a stack is also close to the ridge, and if you can see wasps at both, the job may involve more than one point of access.
Do not seal the flashing
Gaps at the base of a stack are an obvious thing to fill with sealant, and it can be done in minutes. But with a colony inside, that is the wrong thing to do. The wasps look for another exit, and the cavity around a chimney breast is a short route into upstairs rooms.
Resist the urge to repoint the brickwork until the nest has been treated. A bricklayer or roofer should do that afterwards, when the stack can be examined properly.
For an ordinary sting, wash the area, remove the sting where it is visible and put a cold pack on it. Get emergency help on 999 if the face, lips or throat swell, or there is wheezing or difficulty breathing, or if there is dizziness or a rash spreading across the body.
A cracked or crumbling stack is also a hazard in its own right, so a roofer's check after the wasps have gone is good sense.
Price, booking and the repair
The cost of a nest treatment is a fixed £120 per nest, and there is no call-out fee. A further nest found on the property is priced at £60 extra. The price graphic states one visit guaranteed, and nothing is charged extra for a chimney, a steep roof or an awkward position.
To book, ring 01622 410 019 or use the online form on the contact page. The business is open seven days a week, with same-day service, evening and weekend appointments and a form for emergencies out of hours. Domestic and commercial customers are served by insured, qualified technicians.
When the wasps have gone, ask a roofer to look at the flashing and the pointing, since cracks there are the usual way in. Whether the empty nest can come down is a question for the technician.
Barfrestone households with an older stack may find that the repair is a bigger job than the nest, which is another reason to treat the wasps first and plan the building work calmly.
Wasps on your property in Barfrestone?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.