Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Little Mongeham? Here's What to Do
Wasps in the garden do not always mean a nest in the loft. Watching how they move helps you work out where the colony is and what to do next.
Not every wasp points to your roof
In summer, wasps are everywhere. They visit the bins, the barbecue, the ripe fruit on the lawn and the drinks on the patio table. Their sheer numbers can make you feel there must be a nest right above you. Often there is not. These are foragers, flying out from a colony that may be a hedge, a hole in the ground, a shed or a neighbour's roof, and they have found something sweet.
The first job is separating wandering foragers from the stream of a nest. The difference is in their pattern.
Weather affects behaviour too. On hot days wasps drink more, and the lawn sprinkler or a leaking tap can draw them. After rain they come out to dry off and feed. None of this implies a nest nearby.
How foragers behave
Foragers on a food search look like this.
- They circle and hover over food, bins or fruit.
- They approach from different directions.
- They land, feed and fly off, often unhurried.
- They appear more in the afternoon, when drinks and meals are outdoors.
- They disappear when the food does.
Seeing a dozen at a picnic table is normal behaviour, and tells you little about where the colony is.
A way to test is to mark the time and place. If wasps at the patio table come from many directions, it is probably a wide search. If all of them seem to arrive from one corner of the garden, follow that direction with your eyes, without moving closer.
How a nest stream behaves
A nest has a steady line of traffic to and from one point. Wasps leave and return along nearly the same path, and the stream is continuous throughout the day. They do not circle; they go in or come out. At the entrance, they land briefly and disappear into a hole.
If the stream disappears into a gap at the roof, a soffit or under the tiles, the nest is in the loft or roof edge. If it enters a hole in the lawn, a hedge or a shed, it is somewhere else. Watch for ten minutes from a distance of several metres.
Do not try to follow the stream with a torch at dusk, and do not stand beneath the entrance. A moment's hesitation in the wrong place can mean a sting.
What to do about each
For garden foragers, simple steps help. Cover food and drinks, keep bins closed and clear windfalls. Do not swat. These measures reduce the nuisance, but they do not remove a colony.
For a nest stream at the roof, keep away, close the hatch, keep the household out of the loft and call us. For a nest in the ground or a hedge, also keep away and call; we deal with wasp nests wherever they are, at the same fixed price. Our technician is fully insured and qualified.
A hole in the lawn may look like nothing, with only a little loose soil. Mark it from a distance with a stick or a stone, rather than getting close. Keep children and pets away.
Booking and cost
The price is a fixed £120 for each nest, £60 for an additional nest on the same property, with no call-out charge, and one visit is guaranteed. There is no closed day, same-day service is offered, and evening and weekend appointments can be arranged.
You can telephone 01622 410 019 or send the booking form from the contact page. The form also takes emergency requests outside normal hours. We cover Little Mongeham and surrounding villages, for homes and commercial premises.
Where the wasps come from is a question the technician can also help with. If you are unsure, describe what you have seen, and we will advise whether a visit is worthwhile.
A little knowledge of food helps, too. Wasps in late summer turn from protein, which they feed to their grubs, to sugar, which they seek for themselves, and that is why they pester you at the table in August and September. This change in diet has nothing to do with where the nest is, but it explains why a garden that was quiet in June is suddenly full in the autumn.
If you are hosting a party or a barbecue, put bowls of fruit and sweet drinks under cover, use cups with lids, and keep rubbish bins sealed. Do not wave your arms or swat; stay calm, and wasps will usually leave of their own accord.
If you are stung, wash the area, remove the sting if visible and use a cold pack. Seek help by calling 999 if there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, dizziness or a widespread rash. Anyone with a known allergy should speak to their GP.
Keep a small log for a few days: where the wasps appear, at what time and how many. The garden pattern, set beside any indoor sightings, is exactly what a technician wants to hear.
After treatment
Once the nest has been treated, the stream stops, and the garden settles over the following days. Foragers from other colonies may still visit, particularly if there are sweet things about. If activity continues at a different spot, tell us.
Clear fallen fruit, empty cans and sticky spills, and keep dead wasps away from pets and children. Ask the technician if the empty nest can be taken down, wherever it was.
It is also worth checking neighbouring properties from a distance. A stream that leads over the fence points to a nest next door; a gentle word with the neighbour is the polite way to deal with it.
Wasps on your property in Little Mongeham?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.