When Is Wasp Season in Park?
Many of the jobs that fill a weekend in spring and summer take you right up to a nest site, so the wasp calendar should be part of your list of jobs.
Weekend jobs and wasp nests
Spring and summer bring a long list of outdoor jobs: cutting the hedge, painting the fence, clearing the gutters, tidying the shed, mending the gate. Most of them take you to the very places where wasps nest: eaves, walls, hedges, sheds and the ground.
The season for new nests opens from late April, depending on the weather that spring. The colony grows through the summer, peaks in August, and declines in autumn. A householder who understands where a job falls on that calendar can avoid the one thing that spoils a weekend, a sting.
This article goes through the common jobs and the points in the year when each carries a risk.
A bit of thought before the first job of the season saves a lot of pain later.
Hedges and trees
Hedge-cutting is among the riskiest jobs. A thick hedge can hide a nest completely, and the noise and vibration of a trimmer is exactly what provokes a colony.
- In April and May, take a careful look before you start. A small nest is easy to miss.
- In June and July, stop and watch for wasps flying in and out of the hedge.
- In August, avoid cutting any large hedge, tree or shrub unless you have checked it from a distance.
- In autumn, leaves drop and a nest may be revealed, but treat it as live until told otherwise.
If you see wasps, put the trimmer down and walk away calmly. Wasps can swarm and sting if they feel threatened, and a power tool in your hands makes it harder to get away.
A hedge also has a shape on the inside that you cannot see. Even if you cut only the top, the vibration travels, so the risk is not confined to the part you are cutting.
Roses, climbers and trellis can hide gaps against walls and fences as well. When you cut them back in spring, look behind as you go.
Painting, fencing and gutters
Jobs at height or close to walls carry their own risks.
- Before putting up a ladder, look at the eaves and the wall for wasps flying in and out.
- Before painting a fence, check the base and the posts for holes.
- Before clearing gutters, listen for a hum and look for traffic at the roof edge.
- Before moving a pile of timber, flower pots or bricks, check underneath from a distance.
Early spring is the best time to deal with nests, and early spring is also when many of these jobs begin. A quick look first lets you find a nest at its smallest. Never use a ladder close to an active nest.
Pressure washers and power tools add a lot of vibration to a wall, so use them away from any area where you have seen wasps.
Take a moment to think about your escape route before you climb or start work: where would you step, and how quickly could you get clear? Knowing the answer in advance makes you calmer if wasps appear.
Sheds, garages and tidy-ups
Opening a shed in summer can bring you face to face with a nest. Before you go in, stand back and look at the roof edge, the door frame and the base of the walls. Listen for a buzzing.
In the later weeks of summer, an untidy shed with old juice bottles, bags of compost or sweet food scraps can draw wasps in. Clear anything sweet, keep lids on and seal bags of rubbish.
If you find a nest, do not try to seal the shed or push the door shut and walk away. Keep everyone away from the area and call for help. A nest in an outbuilding can often be treated in a single visit.
Cars, caravans and covered boats stored outdoors can attract wasps too. Check under tarpaulins and covers before you pull them off.
Do not forget the garage or shed door frame, the gap above a roller door and the space behind stored ladders. These small, dry, sheltered places are exactly what wasps look for at the start of the season.
A simple rule for every job
The best rule is to look for 30 seconds before you start any outdoor job. Stand still, watch the area and listen. If wasps are flying purposefully in and out of one place, stop.
- Do not block the hole.
- Do not spray the nest.
- Do not try to knock it down.
- Do not carry on and hope.
Mark the position, make a note and arrange a treatment. A delayed job is far better than a painful afternoon. For a sting, wash the area, remove the sting if visible and use a cold pack, and call 999 for signs of a serious allergic reaction such as swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash.
If you hire a contractor, tell them about any nest you know of before they start.
It also helps to work with a second person who can watch for wasps while you concentrate on the job, particularly when you are on a ladder or using noisy equipment.
Booking a treatment
Treating one nest costs a fixed £120 with one visit guaranteed, and every additional nest on the same property costs £60 each. No call-out charge is added, and an evening visit costs the same as a daytime one. Technicians are fully insured and qualified, and work on domestic and commercial properties.
Wasp Exterminator Kent is open on all seven days, offers same-day service and can book evening and weekend visits. Get in touch on 01622 410 019, or use the contact page if you would rather book online. Mention any allergy in the household, and ask whether the empty nest can be taken down.
Wasps on your property in Park?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.