Can You Remove a Wasp Nest Yourself? Advice for Sidcup Homeowners
Window frames, conservatory roofs and tile edges give wasps a ready-made way in, and a nest there is close to the rooms where you sit and sleep.
Gaps around glass and tiles
A house has many small openings. The seal around a window frame can shrink, a roof tile can slip, and the ridge, the edge of a conservatory roof or the join between old and new parts of a building may leave a gap. Wasps need very little space to get in. Behind it there may be a void: a wall cavity, a loft, or the roof space above a conservatory.
Sidcup, in the London Borough of Bexley, has homes of all shapes, and any of them can develop such a gap. The first sign is often a wasp or two in a room, followed by more. Nests begin from late April, depending on the weather, and by August a colony can hold 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps.
A nest near a window or conservatory is especially unwelcome, because it lies on the line between the colony and the living space. The question of removing it yourself is answered by the position: it is often at height, behind glass or tile, and close to people.
Conservatories deserve special mention because they trap heat. A warm, bright room draws wasps toward the glass, and those that get in cannot find their way out. The room becomes a trap, and the wasps become more active and more irritable as they bump against the panes.
Since glass and tile are fragile, resist any DIY approach that involves levering, drilling or climbing. The damage could cost far more than the visit.
Signs to look for
Watch for these clues.
- Wasps crawling on the inside of a window, trying to get out.
- A steady trickle of wasps at one particular frame or roof edge.
- Wasps appearing in a conservatory on a warm afternoon, but not elsewhere in the house.
- Buzzing from above a conservatory ceiling or behind a window pelmet.
- Wasps found dead or slow on a windowsill, repeatedly.
- Papery grey material around a gap.
Not every wasp in the room means a nest nearby. A few may wander in from the garden. A pattern of wasps day after day is the sign.
Also note the timing. Wasps tend to appear on warm, bright afternoons, when the sun heats the glass and the roof. If the wasps vanish on cool days and return when it is sunny, that points to a nest near the roof or frame.
What not to do
Do not attack the frame or the seal with a sharp tool to find the gap. Do not fill gaps with sealant or foam while wasps are active. Do not remove a roof tile to look. Do not climb on a conservatory roof, which is rarely designed to take weight.
Do not use a spray at the window or frame. Fine mist indoors is not pleasant to breathe, and the surviving wasps may be more defensive.
Do not leave windows wide open to get wasps out if the nest is right there. Instead, open a window in a different part of the house away from the nest, and close the door to the affected room.
Do not hit wasps on the glass. A crushed wasp is not a solution, and the next one is not far behind.
Check the outside as well as the inside, from the ground. Stand back and look along the roof edge, the top of the frames and the ridge for wasps entering. Do not lean a ladder against the glass or the frame.
Remember that your own gutters, downpipes and flashings are part of this puzzle. A gap where lead flashing has lifted at the edge of a conservatory is an ordinary entry point.
Living with it until the visit
Close the door to the affected room, keeping children and pets out. If you must use the room, check it first from the doorway. Use blinds or curtains to reduce the number of wasps reaching the glass.
Cover food and drink in the house, and keep bins closed. Ventilate other rooms instead.
Stings should be washed, with any visible sting removed, followed by a cold pack. Dial 999 without delay if there is a widespread rash, swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing or dizziness. A person with a known allergy should speak to their GP. Tell the booking team about an allergy so that the visit can be prioritised.
Note which room, which window and what time of day wasps appear. This helps the technician.
A small point: do not use fly spray in a closed room with children, pets or anyone with breathing problems. Keep rooms well ventilated by opening windows that are away from the nest.
Having it treated
A technician can find and treat a nest around a window or roof safely. Wasp Exterminator Kent charges £120 for each nest treated and one visit is guaranteed. A further nest on the same property is £60 for the extra one. There is no call-out charge and neither location nor time of day adds to the cost. Technicians are fully insured and qualified.
Domestic and commercial customers are served seven days a week, with same-day service and evening and weekend appointments. To book, phone 01622 410 019 or use the online form on the contact page.
Ask whether the empty nest can be taken down, and ask what to do about the gap afterwards.
Think about access on the day. The technician may need to reach the garden, a flat roof or the loft, so clear a path and make sure someone can open doors and gates.
Wasps on your property in Sidcup?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.