When Is Wasp Season in Great Mongeham?
The question of whether to act or wait comes up every year, and the right answer changes with the month, the location of the nest and who lives nearby.
The question everyone asks
Sooner or later, anyone who finds a wasp nest asks whether it needs treating or whether it can be left alone. The honest answer is that it depends, and what it depends on changes with the season.
Wasps set about building nests from late April, with the weather deciding the timing. The colony grows through the summer, peaks in August, and in late summer wasps become very interested in sweet food and drink. Then it declines in autumn. For a householder in Great Mongeham, the decision to treat or wait can be broken down by month and by the nest's position.
This guide sets out the factors for each stage, so you can make the call with a clear head.
There is no shame in either choice, provided it is a decision rather than an assumption.
The questions that matter in any month
Whatever the date, a handful of questions give you most of the answer.
- Is the nest close to a door, window, path, washing line or play area?
- Does anyone in the household react badly to wasp stings?
- Is the nest in or on the house, where wasps may get indoors?
- Do you have children, pets or visitors who will go near it?
- Is the traffic increasing week by week?
- Is the nest in a part of the property nobody visits?
If the answer to any of the first five is yes, the case for treating is strong in any month. If the nest is in an unused corner, the decision is more relaxed, but it should still be reviewed.
It also helps to be honest about how much you will pay attention to the nest over the summer. If you will check on it every week, waiting is possible. If you are likely to forget, treat it.
April and May: treat
In the early part of the season, the argument is strongly for acting. The nest is small, it is easy to treat and it has not yet had time to grow. Early spring is the best time to deal with nests, and there is little to be gained from waiting.
If you hesitate, you are likely to find yourself in June or July with a larger nest and a more pressing problem. Even if the nest is in a quiet place now, it will not stay that way. A growing colony needs more room and sends out more wasps.
Do not block the entrance or disturb the nest. Make a note of its position and call.
A small nest found in spring is also easier to describe. You can say exactly where it is, and the technician can plan a quick, simple visit.
If you decide to treat in spring, there is a bonus: you also learn which part of the property is attractive to wasps, and you can take steps to deal with it before the next season.
June and July: usually treat
In early summer, the nest is growing and the traffic is increasing. A nest that was quiet in May may be a nuisance by July. Unless it is well away from where anyone goes, the sensible choice is to book.
- If the nest is near the house or a path, treat it.
- If there are children, pets or allergy in the household, treat it.
- If you are planning a gathering, treat it beforehand.
- If it is in a remote corner, you might wait, but watch it each week.
A live nest is not something to approach, and wasps can swarm and sting if they feel threatened, so do not try to settle the question by getting close.
One further consideration is neighbours. If a nest is close to a shared boundary, a treatment protects their household as well as yours.
August and September: treat unless it is truly remote
At the peak, a nest can hold from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps. Waiting is difficult to justify unless the nest is far from everything. In the later weeks of summer, the wasps are interested in sweet food and drink, and people are outdoors more.
You might be tempted to wait for the autumn decline. For a nest in a harmless place, that can be a reasonable decision. For anything near a door, a window or a path, it means weeks of risk and inconvenience. If anyone is allergic, do not wait.
Use the online form or phone for same-day service if the nest is causing real trouble.
Remember that the decline is gradual, and September can be as troublesome as August. The wasps are still there, and still looking for food.
October and later: judge by activity
By October the decline is under way. Watch the nest from a distance on a mild afternoon. If it is busy, it is still active and the arguments for treating it are the same as before. If it is quiet, it may have finished.
Do not go close to check. If you are unsure, describe what you see and let the team advise. If the nest is finished, ask at booking whether the empty nest can be taken down. Record the location for next spring.
When you decide to treat, Wasp Exterminator Kent charges 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. The team is open seven days a week, with same-day service, and evening and weekend appointments. Call 01622 410 019 or use the booking form on the contact page, and mention any allergy.
Whichever month you are in, the decision is easier if you have taken a photograph and noted the date, so that you can compare it with how the nest looks a week later.
Wasps on your property in Great Mongeham?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.