Can You Remove a Wasp Nest Yourself? Advice for Matfield Homeowners
From the first knock to the first sting can take only seconds, and then there is the question of where to run. Here is the sequence, and how to avoid ever starting it.
The first few seconds
It helps to understand what happens when a wasp nest is disturbed, because that explains why people are so often hurt. Take a nest at the corner of a roof in early August. The colony may hold anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps, many of them inside, the rest out foraging or coming and going.
Someone puts a ladder against the wall. The vibration travels through the brickwork and the wasps at the entrance take notice. Guard wasps come out and fly toward the source of the disturbance. Within seconds, more wasps join them. If a person is within arm's reach, the first stings can come very quickly.
Matfield homeowners are no different from anyone else in this regard. A nest does not need to be struck to react. A shadow, a sound, a smell of sweat or a sudden movement can be enough. Wasps can swarm and sting if threatened, and from that point control is lost.
It is worth adding that the danger does not stop at the person doing the job. Anyone nearby, from children playing to a neighbour in their garden, can be reached by wasps once they are alerted, and they have no idea why it is happening.
The next minute
Once the colony has been alerted, a number of things happen at once.
- More wasps leave the nest and spread out around the entrance, increasing the chance one will find you.
- Those already in flight return to a nest that is now agitated, and they join the defence.
- A person on a ladder tends to swat, flinch or climb down quickly, which is when falls happen.
- Wasps follow people who run, so going indoors is only helpful if you can close the door behind you.
- Any wasps that come in with you can end up in the house, which is a difficulty of its own.
It is rarely an orderly retreat. The best-intentioned plan to stay calm tends to disappear when wasps are on your head and neck.
What the sequence shows is that the risk lives in the first few seconds. That is the part you cannot control and the part that a trained technician plans for with the right equipment and approach.
Notice that none of this depends on how brave or fit anyone is. It is how wasps behave when their home is threatened, and it is why trained technicians plan the approach, the escape route and the timing before they begin.
After the retreat
Getting away does not end the problem. The colony remains upset for some time, and wasps will be near the entrance, in the garden and possibly at the windows. If you have left tools, a ladder or a spray can by the wall, you have to leave them there.
You may also find stragglers in the house for hours afterwards, in the kitchen, the bathroom or around the lights. Stay calm, avoid swatting, and open a window in a different room so they can leave.
The nest itself has not gone away, and it may now be more defensive. Anyone coming home to the garden that evening, or children playing outside the next day, is at risk of walking into a nest that was previously quiet.
This is the main reason a half-finished attempt is often worse than none at all. You have made the situation harder without solving it.
A short word on stings during the retreat: do not stop to swat, and do not return for dropped tools. Count the stings later, in the safety of the house, with a cold pack and a glass of water.
How to avoid starting the sequence
The way to avoid all this is simple: do not go near the nest.
- Keep a distance of several metres and do not approach for a better look.
- Do not lean ladders, poles or tools against the nest area.
- Keep children and pets in another part of the property.
- Avoid noise and vibration near the wall, hedge or structure, including hammering and mowing.
- Close windows and doors nearby.
- Note where wasps are going, from afar, and write it down.
If anyone is stung, wash the area, take out a visible sting and use a cold pack. Dial 999 without delay if there is a widespread rash, dizziness, swelling of the face, lips or throat or wheezing or difficulty breathing. People with known allergies should speak to their GP.
Children are particularly vulnerable during this stage, since they may be playing outside when the commotion starts. Call them in at once and close the door behind them.
Bringing in someone trained
A technician approaches in a planned way, with the right equipment, and deals with the nest so that the household does not have to. Wasp Exterminator Kent charges £120 per nest, fixed, with one visit guaranteed, and £60 for each additional nest on the same property. There is nothing extra to pay for a call-out, and the price does not shift with the hour or the place. Technicians are fully insured and qualified.
The business covers homes and commercial premises, seven days a week, with same-day service and evening and weekend appointments. Call 01622 410 019 or use the online form on the contact page, which can also be used for emergency service when the office is closed.
If anyone in the household is allergic to wasp stings, mention it when you book so the booking can be prioritised. Ask the technician at booking whether the empty nest can be taken down afterwards.
Ask the technician what to expect when you return to the garden afterwards, and whether anything needs doing at the wall, hedge or roof edge. If you are unsure whether the nest is the only one on your property, say so, because a second nest can be dealt with in the same visit.
Wasps on your property in Matfield?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.