Wasp Control for Coombe Restaurants, Pubs and Commercial Premises
A tasting room with open glasses, cheese boards and a sunny terrace invites wasps to the table, and the answer lies in tidy service and a nest dealt with early.
A glass left on the terrace
Tasting rooms and taprooms sell something that wasps like very much: fermented fruit, sugar, yeast and sweet smell. A glass of cider or fruit wine left on a terrace wall draws them in minutes. Add a cheese board, jam, chutney and a few biscuits, and the tables become busy.
For a producer or a venue at Coombe, the problem is more than a nuisance. Visitors come to savour a taste, not to watch a wasp circle the rim. The colony starts from late April and by August might hold from 2,000 to 10,000 wasps or more, at the same moment as harvest begins. Pressing, bottling and washing equipment add smells of their own.
Some wasps will always visit. The aim is to prevent a stream of them, by dealing with the nest that sends them.
Events add to the picture. A summer supper in the vines, a harvest festival or a live music evening puts large groups on the terrace with a drink in hand for hours. Plan the layout so that bars and food stations sit away from the likely nest position, and have a few staff walking round collecting glasses throughout. A table that is cleared is a table that has little to offer.
Where wasps hide around a producer’s site
The site probably includes the tasting room, a cellar or barn, a press house, a yard, and perhaps an orchard or vines. Check them in turn.
- Eaves, rafters and ventilation gaps of the tasting room.
- Wall cracks, stonework and woodwork near the terrace.
- Pomace, pressings and waste bins at the press house.
- Used bottles, crates and lees buckets in the yard.
- Posts, wires, hedges and the grass beneath the vines or trees.
- Water troughs and drains around the site.
Mark any entrance where you see a steady line of wasps. Keep visitors and staff clear. Do not wash a nest with a hose, and do not try to remove it.
Serving without inviting wasps
Pour smaller tasting measures and collect used glasses frequently. Provide a covered tray or a tub for used glasses, not a table or wall. Use glass covers or beer mats on outdoor tables. Rinse the spittoon and empty it often. Serve cheese, jam and chutney in covered dishes, and put biscuits in a lidded box.
Keep waste containers sealed and at a distance from the terrace. Clean the press house and wash the floor at the end of each day. Do not leave empty cider bottles outside, even for an hour.
Avoid spraying around the visitors’ area. Sprays can taint the products, they are unsuitable around open glasses and they do nothing to the nest. If the wasps are heavy, move tastings indoors for a few days.
Staff should also keep an eye on the tasting counter itself. Spilt wine on the bar top dries to a sticky film that draws wasps even after the glass is gone, so wipe the surface with clean water between groups, and rinse any measuring jugs after use.
Treatment that respects the working site
Wasp Exterminator Kent treats nests at vineyards, orchards, tasting rooms, pubs, shops, offices and homes. A single nest is priced at £120 in total, with one visit guaranteed as standard, and an extra nest found on the same property costs £60 per nest. No call-out charge is made, and the price holds whether the visit is at noon or late in the evening.
We are open seven days a week, with same-day service, and offer evening and weekend appointments, so a technician can come when the tasting room is closed. The technicians we send are fully insured and qualified, and they deliver safe and effective treatment.
Tell us if the nest is near fermentation or storage areas, so access can be arranged. Ask at booking whether the empty nest can be taken down after the visit.
Because production sites are busy at harvest, flexibility matters. If an evening slot is easier, say so, and the technician can plan around the press schedule.
Keep all drains clear of pressings so that they do not draw wasps to the yard overnight.
Visitors, groups and driving
Visitors to a tasting often arrive in groups and many are not locals. Tell the group leader if you know there is a wasp nest on site, and explain what you are doing about it. A calm word at the start is more reassuring than a rushed warning mid-tasting.
Staff should know what to do if a wasp lands on a guest or in a glass. Move the glass, stay calm, and offer a fresh one. Remind guests to keep still rather than swat, particularly near the edge of a terrace.
If a visitor tells you they are allergic to wasp stings, offer a seat indoors and note it for the first aider. Someone with a known allergy should follow the advice given by their doctor.
How to book
Before you call, note the position of the wasps, when the tasting room is closed and who will meet the technician. Where a staff member or regular customer is allergic to wasp stings, let us know when you book so the booking can be prioritised.
Bookings can be made by phoning 01622 410 019 or through the booking form on the contact page, and the online form can be used for emergency service out of normal hours.
After treatment, keep the glass and bin routine through harvest, as wasps from other nests may still visit sweet and fermenting smells.
Shop sales of jams, chutneys and honey are part of many tasting rooms, so check the shelves for leaking jars and wipe the lids. A single cracked jar can pull wasps right into the retail area.
Wasps on your property in Coombe?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.