When Is Wasp Season in Rochester?
When the colony winds down in the autumn, you may wonder whether a nest still needs attention, and the answer depends on where it is and how active it remains.
What actually happens in autumn
Wasp season does not end suddenly. After the August peak, and the late-summer stretch when wasps hunt for sweet food, the colony begins to decline. Over the following weeks fewer wasps are seen, the traffic at the nest entrance slows, and the garden gradually becomes quieter.
For a householder in Rochester or anywhere else, this raises a natural question. If the wasps are on their way out, is there any point doing anything about a nest at this stage? The honest answer is that it depends on whether the nest is still active and where it is.
This article looks at autumn in practical terms: how to tell what stage a nest is at, when to let it be, and when to get help.
Reading the signs that a nest is still active
The simplest test is to watch the entrance for ten minutes on a mild, dry afternoon, from a distance of several metres.
- Busy traffic: a regular movement of wasps in and out means the nest is active.
- Occasional wasps: one or two now and then suggest the colony is winding down.
- No movement at all: the nest may have finished, although a quiet spell on a cold day is not proof.
Do not go close to check. A live nest should not be approached, and wasps can swarm and sting if threatened, even in autumn. If you are unsure whether it has finished, the team can talk it through with you from your description and, where needed, arrange a visit.
Take care with the word "abandoned". An apparently quiet nest on a cool morning can still be active when the day warms up.
A useful habit is to check at the same time of day each time. Wasps are more active in the warmth of the afternoon, so a quiet entrance at eight in the morning tells you less than a quiet one at three. Two or three looks over a few days give you a much better picture than a single glance.
When it is worth treating a nest in autumn
There are good reasons to deal with an active autumn nest rather than wait.
It may be by a door, a path, a bin store or a window, where people come into regular contact with it. It may be in a roof space where wasps can wander into the house. It may be near a place where children play. Someone in the household may react badly to stings, which makes even a declining colony a worry.
In those cases, autumn is no reason to wait. The nest still holds a lot of wasps, and the late-summer pattern of insects seeking sweet things means people are still being stung. Treating it removes the risk and lets you use the garden for the rest of the warm weather.
If the nest is in a remote spot, well away from where anyone goes, the case for treating it is weaker. The decision is yours, and the team can advise.
One more point is the choice between waiting and acting. Some people prefer to leave a quiet nest in a harmless place and simply keep away from it. That is a reasonable decision if nobody goes near it and no one in the household is at risk, but it should be a decision rather than an assumption, and it is worth reviewing if the nest starts to look busy again.
What to do about an old nest
When winter comes and the wasps are gone, many people notice the nest that was there all along: a grey, papery shape in a shed, a loft, a hedge or a tree. Do not assume it is harmless just because it is autumn.
Ask the technician at the time of booking whether the empty nest can be taken down. Until it has been treated and confirmed as inactive, leave it alone. If it is in a place that is awkward or high up, do not climb or reach for it.
Taking a note of where the nest was is the most useful thing you can do. Next April, check that spot and the area around it first. Nest-building begins from late April, depending on the weather, and a spot that has been used once can be a good place to start looking.
Using autumn to prepare for next year
Autumn is a good time for a bit of forward planning. With the wasps quiet, you can inspect the outside of the property at your leisure.
- Look at the eaves, soffits and fascias for gaps and holes.
- Check chimneys, vents and air bricks.
- Walk round sheds, garages and outbuildings and look at the roofs.
- Cut back overgrown shrubs so you can see the ground and the branches clearly.
- Make a note of any holes in lawns or banks.
Sorting out an obvious gap now will not guarantee a nest-free summer, but it takes away easy places for one to start.
Booking an autumn visit
Wasp Exterminator Kent treats nests at fixed prices throughout the season and into the autumn: £120 for the first nest, with one visit guaranteed, and £60 for each additional nest at the same property. There is no call-out charge, and the price does not depend on the time of day or where the nest is.
The business is open seven days a week with same-day service, and evening and weekend appointments for those at work during the day. Ring 01622 410 019, or send the online booking form from the contact page. Both domestic and commercial jobs are carried out by fully insured and qualified technicians. If a member of your household is allergic to wasp stings, mention it when you book.
Wasps on your property in Rochester?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.