When Is Wasp Season in Lordswood?
The school summer holidays fall almost exactly on the wasp peak, so families spend the weeks when wasps are at their most numerous playing outside.
A bad overlap in the calendar
The long school holiday and the wasp peak sit on top of each other. Nests are started from late April, depending on the weather, and the colony grows all through the early summer. By August it is at its largest, with a nest holding from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps, and that is just when children are outdoors all day.
If you are a parent or grandparent in Lordswood, the practical consequence is that the weeks you most want the garden are the weeks it is least predictable. A paddling pool, a trampoline, a picnic rug or a lemonade stall are all attractive to children and to wasps alike.
The aim here is not to put you off summer. It is to help you plan for the overlap, so that a wasp nest does not take over the holiday.
Before the holidays begin
The best preparation takes place in late spring, before term ends. Spend ten minutes walking round the garden and the outside of the house, with the children's play areas in mind.
Look at:
- The ground around the trampoline, sandpit and play frame.
- The shed or playhouse, including the gap under the roof.
- Fences, hedges and the eaves nearest to the patio.
- Any hole in a bank, a lawn edge or a flower bed.
If wasps are flying in and out of any of these, tell the children to stay clear, mark the place in your mind, and arrange to have it treated while the nest is still small. Dealing with the problem before school finishes is far better than doing so with children indoors and bored.
Involve the children in the check if they are old enough. They are good at noticing things at ground level, and if they understand why the garden has a no-go area, they are more likely to respect it. Keep the instruction simple: if you see wasps going in and out of a hole or gap, come and tell me, and do not go closer.
Teaching children what to do around wasps
Children are often more stung by panic than by wasps. A simple set of rules, repeated calmly, makes a big difference.
- Stay still or walk slowly away when a wasp comes close. Do not run, scream or flap.
- Never throw things at a nest, or poke it with a stick.
- Tell an adult at once if you see wasps going in and out of a hole.
- Do not drink from a can or bottle without looking inside first.
- Keep sticky hands and faces wiped after ice lollies and juice.
Younger children can be shown the wasp's entrance from a long way off and told that this is a place to stay away from. A garden rule such as "no playing behind the shed" is easier to follow than an abstract warning.
Playing and eating outside in August
In August, take a few extra steps. Put sticky drinks in cups with lids or straws. Serve food in small portions and clear the plates promptly. Make sure the bin lid shuts and put the bin well away from where the children play.
Late in the summer, wasps become much more interested in sweet food and drink, so the last weeks of the holiday can be harder than the first. If the family has been enjoying the garden all summer, don't be surprised if September brings a new level of wasp attention.
Water play deserves a mention. A paddling pool is not an obvious wasp magnet, but a bowl of juice next to it certainly is. Keep drinks and snacks away from the water.
Birthday parties and sleepovers need a mention. If friends are coming round, other parents may not know about a nest, so tell them in advance, keep the party away from that part of the garden, and have a plan to move indoors. A little forethought keeps a celebration calm.
If a child is stung
Stings happen even in careful households, and they are usually manageable. Wash the area, take out the sting if you can see it, and put on a cold pack to ease the pain and swelling.
Watch the child for the next while. Call 999 straight away if there is any swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. These can be signs of a serious allergic reaction. If you know a child is allergic, talk to your GP about it ahead of time.
Mention any allergy in the family when you arrange a nest treatment, because it allows the booking to be prioritised.
It can help to keep a small first aid kit by the back door during the holidays, with a cold pack in the freezer and a few wipes, so that you are not hunting for supplies with a crying child.
Getting the garden safe for the holidays
If there is a nest on your property, have it dealt with before the children spend the day beside it. Wasp Exterminator Kent charges a fixed £120 per nest, with one visit guaranteed, and £60 for a second nest on the same property. There is no call-out charge, and the price does not change by time of day.
The technicians are fully insured and qualified, and the business opens seven days a week with same-day service. Evening and weekend appointments are available, so you do not have to take a day off work. Call 01622 410 019 or use the booking form on the contact page, and ask whether the empty nest can be taken down afterwards.
It is also worth thinking about the end of the holiday. Late August and early September remain busy for wasps, and children go back to school just as the sweet-seeking stretch peaks, so lunchboxes, juice cartons and playtime snacks may attract attention on the walk home.
Wasps on your property in Lordswood?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.