When Is Wasp Season in Speldhurst?
Spring brings fat, fuzzy bumblebees and summer brings wasps, and knowing what is flying when saves you calling the wrong person for help.
A garden full of buzzing things
In spring and summer a garden is full of flying insects, and not all of them are wasps. Many callers worry about a nest when what they have is a bumblebee in a bank or honeybees in a wall. The right action is completely different, so it is worth telling them apart before you pick up the phone.
The wasp calendar helps. Wasp nests are started from late April, depending on the weather, grow through the summer and peak in August. The insects you see in a Speldhurst garden in March are not wasps building a nest. They are other things.
Wasp Exterminator Kent treats wasps. For honeybees or bumblebees, the right step is to contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation.
A good rule is that if you are not sure, do not touch. Neither wasps nor bees reward curiosity, and a calm look from a distance, followed by a question to the right person, is always better than a guess.
Early spring: mostly not wasps
In the first warm days of the year, the insects that appear are mixed. Large, furry bumblebees are often among the first. Some honeybees fly on mild days too.
Pointers for telling them apart:
- Bumblebees are round, furry and slow, with a loud, low buzz.
- Honeybees are slimmer, light brown and furry, usually found at flowers.
- Wasps are smooth and shiny, with a bold yellow and black pattern and a narrow waist.
If you see a smooth, narrow-waisted wasp in March, it is not a sign of a nest that has already formed. The actual building starts from late April, so that is when to begin looking for a regular flight path.
One other tip: if you are not sure what you are looking at, wait for a warm, still afternoon and watch from a distance of a few metres. Behaviour usually settles the question long before you need to see fine detail.
Late spring and early summer: nests begin
By May and June, wasps are flying regularly. They are visiting flowers, collecting materials and carrying out journeys that tie to a nest. The pattern to look for is the same flight path used repeatedly.
If you see insects going in and out of a hole in a bank or lawn, take a careful look from a distance. Small, round, furry insects are probably bumblebees. Slender, shiny yellow-and-black insects going in and out in a purposeful line are more likely wasps.
Do not disturb the entrance, and do not try to block it. If you are not sure what you have, describe it or send a photo from a safe distance. The team can tell you whether it is something they treat, and point you elsewhere if it is not.
Colours can mislead in poor light, so try to look at the insect in bright sun. A dull, grey, slow wasp in autumn may look quite different from a bright one in July, so compare it with your memory of the summer insects.
Summer to autumn: wasps at the table
From July to September, wasps are the insects most likely to bother you at a table. They come to sweet food, drink, fallen fruit and bins, especially in the later part of summer. Bees tend to ignore your lunch and stick to flowers.
That distinction helps. An insect that keeps coming back to your cider glass is probably a wasp. One quietly working through the lavender is probably a bee, and should be left alone.
At the August peak, a wasp nest can hold from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps. If you have a large number of insects entering a wall and cannot tell what they are, get advice before doing anything.
A garden with lots of ivy in flower in autumn is a good example: you will see wasps, hoverflies and bees feeding at the same time. Hoverflies mimic wasp colours but are harmless and do not sting, which is another reason not to panic at the first yellow-and-black stripe.
What to do when it is not a wasp
Bees do not go away because you want them to, and they matter for gardens and crops. If you think you have honeybees or bumblebees, do not call a wasp treatment business and do not try to remove them yourself. Contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation, and keep children and pets back from the entrance in the meantime.
If you have wasps, the steps are different. Keep your distance from the nest, as wasps can swarm and sting if they feel threatened, and do not block the entrance. Call for a treatment and describe where the activity is.
Getting it checked and treated
Wasp Exterminator Kent treats wasp nests for a fixed £120 with one visit guaranteed, and £60 for each additional nest on the same property. No call-out charge is made, whatever time of day you need the visit. The technicians are fully insured and qualified, and cover homes and commercial premises.
The business is open seven days a week with same-day service and evening and weekend appointments. Contact the team by phone on 01622 410 019 or through the online booking form. If you are unsure what the insects are, say so, and describe their colour, size and behaviour. Mention any allergy in the household when you book.
A photograph helps enormously. Take one from a safe distance of the insects or the entrance, note the date and where it was, and keep it to hand when you call. Even a blurry picture can answer the question of whether you are dealing with a wasp nest or something else, and it saves you a wasted journey for everyone.
Wasps on your property in Speldhurst?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.