How to Tell If You Have an Active Wasp Nest on Your Stourmouth Property
The little boxes and cupboards on the outside of a building are dry, sheltered and rarely opened, so they are worth a careful look when wasps start appearing.
Small spaces, big colonies
Wasps can build in surprisingly small spaces. A gas or electric meter box, a cupboard for bins, an outdoor tap housing, a satellite dish mount or a gap behind a security light can all provide a sheltered place for a nest.
Because these things are checked rarely and often belong to the utility company, the nest can go unnoticed.
This guide is for properties in Stourmouth, and it helps you look at these fittings safely.
Never open a meter box or cupboard to look inside if wasps have been seen around it.
It is worth keeping a note of every external fitting on your property. That makes a seasonal check quicker, and you will know which ones to watch if wasps appear.
Wasps readily use the narrow spaces behind plastic and metal covers because they stay dry and warm. A small box that seems no more than a hand-span wide can hold a surprisingly large colony.
Rural and semi-rural properties often have more outbuildings and utility fittings than town houses, which increases the places to check. Take it a fitting at a time.
Looking from outside
Start with a look at each fitting from a few metres away.
- Wasps landing on a meter box and crawling into the door seam
- A hum from a cupboard on a warm afternoon
- Wasps hovering around the vents or hinges
- Grey paper-like fragments on the ground beneath a box
- Staining at the edge of the door or the lid
A box is often tight, so the entrance is usually a small seam, hinge gap or cable hole.
Watch for the angle of the entrance. Wasps often use the gap at the bottom or side of a box lid, where there is a small ledge to land on. A visible crawl along a seam is a strong sign.
Photographs are especially valuable here, because the technician can see the type of box or fitting before arriving and will know what to expect.
Why you should not open it
Meter boxes and cupboards are small, enclosed spaces. If a nest is inside and you open the door, you are placing your face and hands right beside it.
The wasps cannot escape except past you, and the noise and light bring them out at once. There is also a danger because of gas or electric equipment inside, which you should not touch while in a panic.
If you need to read the meter, contact your supplier about how to proceed or give a reading by another route, rather than risk a nest.
If you are worried about an electrical or gas fitting, remember that the immediate danger is the nest, not the equipment. Walk away from the area, and arrange a separate safety check later if the technician advises it.
If the wasps are in a cupboard for bins or garden tools, close the door gently, if it is still open, and do not use it until it has been treated.
Outdoor lights, dishes and fixtures
Security lights, satellite dishes and aerial mounts have cavities behind them. A wasp nest behind a light can be hard to see, but the traffic is obvious. Look for wasps entering at the back or underside.
Outdoor taps and their housing, doorbells, burglar alarm boxes and trellis fixings are similar. Watch for traffic from a distance, and do not tamper with anything in the area.
If a light or alarm has begun to behave oddly, for example flickering, stay clear and keep the wasps in mind as a possible cause.
Cable holes around doorbells and entry systems are tiny, and a nest behind a panel may only be known by a thin stream of wasps from a crack. Treat the pattern as seriously as you would a larger gap.
Remember the other side of the picture: sound. A faint crackle or hum from a utility cupboard on a warm day, together with a few wasps at the seam, is as good as a sighting.
Who to tell
If the fitting belongs to a utility company, you may need to contact them as well. Tell them there are wasps in or near their equipment and ask whether they have a procedure. What they do is a matter for them.
Do not rely on that to deal with the wasps. A specialist treatment can be arranged separately, and the technician will want to know where the fitting is and whether it is locked.
Keep records of when you noticed the problem and whom you spoke to.
If the fitting belongs to a landlord, a management company or a neighbour, the question of who arranges treatment depends on the agreement involved, so check it. In the meantime, a short message to explain the risk is worth sending.
Booking
Wasps begin building from late April and the colony is at its biggest in August, with potentially thousands of insects. A nest in a small box can be just as active as one in a roof.
A fixed £120 covers each nest, with one visit guaranteed. A second nest on the property is £60 extra, there is no call-out charge, and the price does not change for the position or time of day.
Booking is easiest by phone on 01622 410 019, or via the contact page. The business offers same-day service seven days a week and has fully insured and qualified technicians for domestic and commercial work. Mention any allergy in your household so the booking can be prioritised.
Evening and weekend appointments are available, and the online form can be used for emergency service outside office hours. Keep the area clear of children and pets on the day.
Please also tell the technician if there is a lock, a key holder or any other access question. An unlocked, clear approach to the fitting makes the job simpler and quicker.
Wasps on your property in Stourmouth?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.