When Is Wasp Season in Ramsgate?
A day by the sea means sweet and salty food eaten outdoors, which is exactly what wasps are after in the later weeks of summer.
Food in the open air
A day out by the sea revolves around eating outdoors: ice creams, chips, fizzy drinks, sandwiches on the beach. Ramsgate, on the Kent coast, is a place where many people spend time eating outdoors in the warm months, and so the wasp calendar affects the day out as much as the garden.
Colonies begin their nests from late April, again depending on the weather. The colony grows through the summer, peaks in August, and in the later part of summer wasps become very interested in sweet food and drink. A seaside day in late August with an ice cream is exactly what they look for.
This article looks at how the season affects days out, and how to make them more comfortable, whether you live locally or are visiting.
The good news is that a few simple habits are enough, and none of them spoils the day.
Early and midsummer: a few wasps, no trouble
In May and June, a day on the coast is mostly free of wasp worries. The colonies are small, and you may see only the occasional insect. There is no need for special precautions, though the usual common sense helps.
By July, numbers are rising. There are more wasps in the air, and they are more visible around food. Seaside cafés, ice cream stands and picnic benches begin to attract more of them. This is a good time to start paying attention to how you eat.
If you are bringing children, show them what to do. Staying calm, not swatting and walking slowly away are skills that serve them well for the rest of the summer.
A tip for parents: pack drinks in bottles with a sports cap or a straw, rather than open cups, and take a few wet wipes. Sticky faces and hands attract wasps well after the ice cream is gone.
Coastal breezes carry food smells quite far, so a wasp may find your picnic from some distance. Choose a spot a little away from bins and food stalls if you can.
August and September: the busy weeks
At the August peak, a nest can hold from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps, and in late summer the wasps are particularly interested in sweet things. This is the time when ice creams, lollies and fizzy drinks attract the most attention.
- Eat ice cream standing or sitting away from bins.
- Check cans and cups before you take a sip.
- Keep food wrapped until you are ready to eat it.
- Bin rubbish promptly in lidded bins, or take it with you.
- Wipe sticky hands and faces.
- Sit away from overflowing bins and spilled drinks.
If a wasp lands on you, stay still or move slowly away. Do not flap or swat, as that is how stings happen.
If you sit on a bench or wall, take a look underneath and behind it first. Wasps like crevices, and a bench next to a bin is a poor place to enjoy a snack in late summer.
Home by the coast: wasps at the house
People who live by the sea have wasps at home as well. Nests are built in the same places: eaves, walls, chimneys, trees, bushes and holes in the ground. A seaside house is no exception.
The calendar is the same, and so is the advice. Check the outside of the property in late April and May, watch for a wasp flying repeatedly to the same spot, and book if you find one. The best moment to have a nest dealt with is early spring.
If you let rooms or run a holiday property, a nest near the front door or the patio can spoil a stay. Visitors may not know what to do, so a note in the guest information about covering food outdoors and who to contact is a sensible precaution.
Seasonal staff in particular may not have met a wasp problem before, so a short briefing at the start of the season is worth it.
For anyone letting out a holiday flat or room by the coast, a nest on the building is worth dealing with before the busy weeks, because guests tend to stay close to the property and use balconies and doorsteps a good deal.
If you are stung on a day out
Stings happen even to careful people. Move away from the area, wash the sting with clean water if you have it, remove the sting if you can see it, and apply something cold wrapped in a cloth.
Call 999 immediately if there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. Any of these may point to a serious allergic reaction. If you have a known allergy, talk to your GP about it before the summer, and tell the people you are with.
A sting in or near the mouth, perhaps from a wasp in a can, needs attention straight away.
If you are with children, stay calm yourself, since they take their cue from you. A quiet instruction to stand still often settles the whole group.
Dealing with a nest at home or at a business
Wasp Exterminator Kent treats nests at homes and commercial premises such as cafés, kiosks and guest accommodation. Each nest treated is a fixed £120 with one visit guaranteed, while a second nest on your property is £60 each. There is no call-out charge, and the price does not vary by time of day.
The team is open seven days a week with same-day service, plus evening and weekend appointments. Technicians are fully insured and qualified. Call 01622 410 019 or use the booking form on the contact page, and mention any allergy in the household so the booking can be prioritised.
Wasps on your property in Ramsgate?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.