When Is Wasp Season in Faversham?
Community events take place on grass, near hedges and around food stalls, and the wasp calendar affects them more than most organisers expect.
When the whole community is outdoors
Summer is the season for fêtes, sports days, open gardens, charity barbecues and club days. They share a few features: a field or garden, lots of people, tea and cake, and a calendar set months in advance. The wasp season does not care about the calendar.
It is from late April that wasps start to build, the exact timing depending on the weather. The colony grows, peaks in August, and in the later weeks of summer wasps are very keen on sweet food and drink. A cake stall in early September is a prime target. If you are organising an event in Faversham, or anywhere else, it is worth including wasps in your risk thinking.
This article offers a practical timeline for organisers.
Events run by volunteers carry an extra challenge, because nobody is paid to think about the details, and information gets lost between one meeting and the next. Writing the wasp checks into the event plan makes sure they are done.
Weeks before: look at the site
A few weeks before the event, visit the site with wasps in mind. Walk the whole area where people will gather, and look at the edges.
- Hedges, trees and bushes along the boundary.
- The ground near fences, banks and walls.
- Sheds, pavilions, outbuildings and storage containers.
- The eaves and roof edges of any building you will use.
- The areas around bins, taps and water sources.
Watch for wasps flying repeatedly to the same spot. If you find a nest, contact the owner of the site and arrange a treatment. Early spring is the best time to deal with nests, but at any time before the event, sooner is better than later.
Take photographs and send them to whoever owns the site. It saves time and makes it easier to explain what you have seen when you call.
If the site is a school field, a village hall or a sports ground, speak to the person who looks after it. They may already know where wasps have been seen in previous years, which is a head start no inspection can match.
The week before: the layout
Once you know the site is clear, think about how to lay it out.
- Place food and cake stalls away from hedges and buildings where wasps may nest.
- Position bins well away from stalls and seating, with lids.
- Put drink stalls and tea tents in a place with a good view, so that staff can see what is happening.
- Provide covers, lids and tongs on food tables.
- Keep children's games away from any area of concern.
Brief the volunteers. People who are staffing stalls should know to stay calm, to clear sweet items quickly and to report any nest. They should not try to deal with one.
A written layout plan, even a rough sketch, helps. If the weather changes or you have to move stalls, you can see at a glance where it is safe.
Think about the route to the toilets, the car park and the first aid tent. People will be walking along these paths all day, and a nest beside any of them is a hazard for hundreds of visitors.
On the day: what to have ready
On the day itself, a few simple measures can help.
- A first aid point with cold packs and clean water.
- A named person who knows where the nearest phone is.
- A plan for what to do if a nest is found or someone is stung.
- Covers for cakes and sweet items.
- Lidded bins, emptied regularly.
If someone is stung, wash the area, remove the sting if visible and use a cold pack. Call 999 for swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. Wasps can swarm and sting if they feel threatened, so tell people to keep away from the nest.
Younger volunteers, such as scouts or school helpers, should be given a simple briefing about what to do if they see a wasp, and where to find an adult.
Late-summer events
Events held in late August and September are the trickiest, because wasps are then at their most interested in sweet food and drink. Harvest suppers, apple days and end-of-season barbecues are all affected.
Plan for it. Serve fruit, juices and puddings in small amounts, covered, and clear plates quickly. Think about moving the food and drink indoors or under a gazebo with the sides closed. If an event involves fruit, such as pressing apples, expect wasps and set up the area away from the crowd.
If the weather is warm in the week before, check the site again, since a nest could have appeared since your last visit.
If the event includes a tombola, a cake stall or a fruit competition, those are the tables to place furthest from hedges, and nearest to a shaded, lidded bin.
Booking before an event
Wasp Exterminator Kent treats nests at homes and commercial premises, including halls, clubs and other venues. The price is a fixed £120 per nest, with one visit guaranteed, and £60 for each additional nest on the same property. There is no call-out charge, and the price is the same for evening and weekend appointments.
The team is open seven days a week and offers same-day service. Technicians are fully insured and qualified. Phone 01622 410 019, or send the online form from the contact page. If the site belongs to someone else, such as a council, club or landowner, check with them who arranges treatment before you book.
If you hire a marquee or equipment, tell the supplier about any nest on the site, since their staff may be working close to it.
Give the contractor or technician a clear description of the site, the time of the event and the position of the nest, so that the visit can be planned in good time.
Wasps on your property in Faversham?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.