Why Are Wasps Flying Into Your Little Mongeham Home? Common Causes and Solutions
A nest at the base of a wall or beneath the floor sends wasps into ground-floor rooms, garages and under-stairs cupboards rather than upstairs.
Low entrances
When we think of wasp nests, we picture the roof. But a good number are at the bottom of the house. A queen can slip into an air brick near the ground, a gap round a pipe where it enters the wall, or a hole in the soil beside the foundations. The nest forms in a void under the floor or in the wall cavity, and the first sign is wasps at the skirting boards and in cupboards.
For a household in Little Mongeham, wasps in ground-floor rooms with no obvious way in, and none upstairs, point to a low entrance.
Many older garden walls, retaining walls and outbuildings have low gaps as well. A nest in a garden wall may feed wasps into the house, even though the nest is not in the house itself. It is worth looking at those too when you walk the plot.
What to look for outside
Walk the base of the house slowly, from a distance:
- Air bricks at ground level, with or without mesh.
- Holes in the soil along the foot of the wall.
- Gaps round drainpipes, gas and water pipes.
- Cracks in render or pointing near the ground.
- The edge of a patio or path where it meets the wall.
- A small crumbly mound of earth beside an opening.
Watch for wasps landing and disappearing. A single, steady line of traffic is the most reliable sign.
Take the time to look at the ground beside paths and patios as well. Flagstones that have shifted, the edge of a lawn and a flower bed against the wall all offer a sheltered hollow. A hole that looks like a mouse burrow, with wasps flying in and out, is a nest entrance.
What to look for inside
Inside, wasps from a low nest appear:
- At skirting boards on external walls.
- In under-stairs cupboards and utility rooms.
- Around floor vents and pipe boxing.
- In garages and cellars.
- On the floor or low on the wall.
You may also hear a faint scratching from below the floor. A piece of furniture against an outside wall may be hiding the gap, so look behind it only if no wasps are about.
A low nest can also produce wasps that crawl, rather than fly, into a room, because they come up from the floor level. If you find wasps walking along the skirting or up from a gap beside the radiator pipe, take that as a clue.
A damp smell in a cupboard or a patch of damp on the lower wall can sometimes go with a nest, because wasps chew wall material and bring moisture. It is not a sure sign, but if it comes with wasps, mention it. Keep stored goods away from the affected wall.
What not to do
Do not pour anything into a hole in the ground or against the wall. Do not fill a gap with soil, cement or foam. Do not stamp on the ground near it. A nest can hold from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps at its peak, and a disturbed colony can pour out in all directions, including through any gap into your home.
Keep children and pets away from the area. Mark the spot, if you can do so without leaning in, and keep the door nearest to it shut.
Weather has an effect. After heavy rain, a nest in the ground may be flooded and wasps may move to other spaces, including cellars and utility rooms. A dry spell may do the reverse. Whatever the conditions, treat any low nest with the same caution.
Remember that a quick DIY fix is tempting at ground level, since the entrance is within easy reach. That is exactly why it causes so many stings. The temptation to look, to test, to stamp or to pour is strong, and the safest course is to do none of them.
Keeping safe indoors
Close the door of the affected room and put a towel along the bottom. Keep food covered and bins closed. Make sure everyone in the house knows to avoid the area.
Wash the sting site, remove the sting if you can see it then cool it with a cold pack. Phone 999 without delay if you see difficulty breathing, wheezing, swelling of the lips, face or throat, dizziness or a spreading rash. Anyone with a known allergy should talk to their GP and should tell us when booking so that the visit can be prioritised.
If you have a cellar, a basement or a crawl space, keep the door closed and do not go in to look. Tell the technician about any hatches, their position and whether they are locked.
Getting it treated
Wasp Exterminator Kent treats nests in the ground, in walls, in roofs and in trees. The price is fixed at £120 per nest, with one visit guaranteed, and an additional nest on the same property is £60 each. Fully insured, qualified technicians work seven days a week for domestic and commercial customers, and same-day service is available.
Ring 01622 410 019 or fill in the online booking form. Describe where the wasps are coming from, and ask whether the empty nest can be taken down.
If the property has a garden wall that is shared with a neighbour, let them know what you have seen. A nest in a shared boundary can serve both gardens.
Please also clear any plants or garden furniture from the foot of the wall before the visit, so that the technician can reach the spot without delay.
Wasps on your property in Little Mongeham?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.