Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Southborough? Here's What to Do
For a business, a loft or roof void nest means staff, customers and deliveries to think about as well as the wasps, so a little planning goes a long way.
Why a business needs a different plan
A wasp nest in a family home affects a handful of people who all know about it. In a shop, an office or a workshop, the people at risk change through the day: staff on different shifts, customers who do not know a nest exists, delivery drivers, cleaners who arrive early or late. A wasp in a shop window is a problem for sales as well as safety, and a sting to a customer is something no owner wants to explain.
That is why a commercial nest is best handled quickly and quietly. The aim is to keep people away from the affected area, avoid alarming anyone and have the nest treated by someone qualified. Our technician is fully insured and qualified, and domestic and commercial work is priced in the same way: £120 for a nest, and £60 for an additional nest on the same property.
Think too about who else uses the building. Cleaners, contractors and maintenance staff often work early or late and may not have been told. If other tenants share the roof space, such as units in a small business park, let them know so that nobody opens a shared hatch by mistake. A short message or a note on the notice board is enough.
Telling staff what to do
Everyone who works in the building needs to know the same simple rules. A short briefing at the start of a shift is enough, and a note on the staff door helps. The rules are these:
- Nobody opens roof hatches, loft ladders or ceiling access panels.
- Staff do not swat wasps or spray them. They open a window and let them leave.
- Doors to affected rooms are kept shut.
- Anyone stung washes the sting, removes it if visible and uses a cold pack.
- Swelling of the face or throat, wheezing or dizziness means a 999 call.
- Staff with known allergies should tell the manager and speak to their GP.
A nominated person, such as the manager or a supervisor, should be the single contact for the technician.
Keep a simple log of what is reported: the date, the time, the place and who saw it. This helps the technician and gives you a record. Do not ask staff to go looking for the nest, and do not encourage anyone to take photographs from the roof or a ladder.
Customers and the public
If wasps are visible in the premises, you do not have to close, but think about the layout. A cafe with wasps at a window is different from a warehouse with a nest high above the racking. Where the public are involved, keep sweet food and drinks covered, and move seating away from the affected ceiling. Do not put up a dramatic notice, but do tell customers who ask.
If the nest is above a customer area, it may be sensible to cordon off a small section until the visit. Block the area off with furniture or tape. A calm, matter-of-fact attitude reassures people more than silence does.
Access, keys and out of hours
Many businesses prefer treatment outside trading hours. We are open seven days a week, offer same-day service, and have evening and weekend appointments, so the visit can be arranged for when the premises are empty. If so, arrange access in advance: a key holder, a lockbox code or a staff member who can let the technician in.
Tell us where the roof access is. In commercial buildings it may be a hatch in a storeroom, a ladder in a back corridor or a panel above a ceiling tile. Say if any area has an alarm, a locked door or restricted access. The online form can be used for emergency requests out of normal hours.
If the nest is in a flat roof void or above a suspended ceiling, the technician may need a tile lifted or an access panel opened. Check who holds the keys, and whether any alarm or sprinkler head sits near the access point. Mention any such details when you call, so nothing delays the visit.
Booking and paperwork
Call 01622 410 019, or fill in the online booking form on the contact page. Give the business name, the address, the contact on site and a note of where you have seen wasps. The technician covers Southborough, next to Tunbridge Wells, and surrounding villages. There is no call-out charge and the price is fixed, with one visit guaranteed.
If your business needs an invoice or a record of the visit for its files, ask when you book. Keep a note of the date and the work done. Whether the nest affects an insurance policy, a lease or a health and safety record is a matter for your own policy and documents, so check those.
A business with several sites can book each one separately, and each nest is charged at its own fixed price. If a nest appears again the following season at the same premises, treat it the same way. We look after both homes and commercial premises, and every booking is handled with the same care.
Afterwards: getting back to normal
Once the nest has been treated, remove dead wasps from floors, sills and shelves with a vacuum or a brush. Check stock, uniforms and equipment stored near the affected area for staining. If the empty nest is in the roof void, ask at booking whether it can be taken down.
Let staff know when the area is safe again, and keep the roof hatch closed until the technician says otherwise. A short message to the team that the matter has been dealt with brings everyone back to normal quickly.
Wasps on your property in Southborough?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.