Wasp Nests Under Roof Tiles – A Common Problem for Church Whitfield Homes
Dormers and bay windows have small roofs of their own, with extra joints and corners. Wasps find them, and so can you, from a safe distance on the ground.
Small roofs with many joints
A dormer is a small roofed window that sticks out of the main roof. A bay window often has its own little roof as well. Each has cheeks, lead work, a front board and a number of joints with the main roof.
All those joins have gaps. Lead moves, sealant dries and cracks, and boards shrink. A wasp looking for a dry cavity in spring has plenty to choose from.
A nest here is closer to the windows than one on the main ridge, which means wasps appear in the rooms behind quickly.
Lead cheeks on a dormer expand and contract in the sun, and over the years they pull away from the wall. A narrow gap at the top of a cheek is a typical weak point.
Where to look
Stand back and examine each small roof in turn. The places to check are the edges where the dormer meets the main slope, the corners at the top of the cheeks and the front board above the window.
- A line of wasps at the joint between the dormer and the main roof.
- Wasps at the top corner of the window frame, going in behind the board.
- Wasps on the glass of the window, trying to get out.
- A faint hum from inside the room, particularly near the window.
Bay windows often have a lead or felt roof that rests against the wall, and the gap at the top of the bay is a favourite entry.
Another place to check is the underside of any overhang at the front of the dormer. A small soffit there can have the same hole that a larger one has.
Binoculars are very useful here, because the details are small and the roofs are often hard to see from the road.
The room behind the window
A nest in a dormer is just on the other side of a plaster wall from a bedroom or study. That puts the household closer to the colony than usual, and the first you may know of it is wasps on the inside of the glass.
Close the door of the room and keep it closed. Put a rolled towel along the base of the door if wasps are coming in. Open a window on the far side of the house and not the one near the nest.
Do not sleep in the room until the nest has been treated, particularly if you have noticed noise from the wall or ceiling.
If the room is a child's bedroom, think about moving the bed to another room for a night or two until the nest has been dealt with.
Pets that sleep in upstairs rooms should be moved out too, until the nest has been treated.
Why you should not lean out to check
A dormer is often reached through the window itself, and it is tempting to lean out and take a look. That puts your head at the same level as the nest, a few inches from it.
A top-floor window is a poor place to lose your balance. If a wasp lands on your face and you recoil, you could fall.
Stay on the ground and look from a distance. If you need to show the technician something, point it out on a photograph.
Many people with loft conversions have a dormer, and their stairs and landings lead up to it. Keep the door at the bottom of the stairs shut if wasps are in the upstairs room.
Sealing and spraying
The joints of a dormer are small enough to fill in a few minutes, and that makes it an easy mistake. Filler stops the exit but not the colony, and the wasps look for another way out, often into the room.
A can of spray aimed through an open window is just as dangerous. The wasps are close, and the spray will not reach a nest set back into the roof.
Should anyone be stung, rinse the skin, pick out the sting if it shows and then cool it with a cold pack. Phone 999 without delay if breathing becomes difficult, or the face, lips or throat begin to swell, or if dizziness or a widespread rash develops.
Hanging a net curtain over the window will not stop a wasp, and wasps on the glass are best left to settle by themselves.
If you have already sealed a dormer joint, mention it when you book. The technician then knows to look for wasps that have gone elsewhere.
Price, booking and the repair afterwards
Pricing is simple, at a fixed £120 per nest, with nothing added for the visit itself. An additional nest on the same property adds £60 extra. Nothing is charged for the position of the roof, and the price graphic carries one visit guaranteed.
Ring 01622 410 019, or use the booking form on the contact page, which can also be used for emergencies when the office is shut. Bookings are taken every day of the week, with same-day visits possible and evenings and weekends available. Homes and businesses are both treated by a technician who is fully insured and qualified.
After the treatment a few wasps may remain at the window for a short time. Once they are gone, ask a roofer to renew the lead or sealant at the dormer joints. The technician can say whether the empty nest can be removed.
If your dormer is part of a recent conversion, mention it. The technician may find the new roof easier to read.
Children's rooms and spare bedrooms are the ones most often found behind a dormer, so tell the household which rooms are off limits.
Wasps on your property in Church Whitfield?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.