Wasp Control for Strood Restaurants, Pubs and Commercial Premises
A shop with its door propped open on a warm day, and sweets, drinks or ice cream on display, can find wasps drifting in and customers drifting out.
The open door problem
On a hot day a shop owner props the door open to let air in. It is a natural thing to do, and it is also the quickest way to invite wasps inside. A shop with soft drinks in a chiller by the entrance, a rack of sweets, a tray of pastries or an ice cream freezer gives wasps a reason to stay once they have found it.
For a retailer in Strood, one of the Medway Towns, a wasp near the till is more than a minor irritation. Shoppers leave baskets and walk out, staff become jumpy, and the person at the counter is trying to serve while watching a wasp circle a cup of coffee. Late summer is the worst time, when the colony is at its largest and more wasps are searching for sugar.
The remedy has two parts: reduce what draws them in, and have the nest dealt with so that the supply stops.
What draws them to a shop floor
Walk through the shop as a wasp would. Sugar is the main draw, but it is not the only one. Look for the following:
- Open or leaking bottles and cans, including the recycling box behind the counter.
- Sticky shelves beneath drinks displays and the floor in front of the chiller.
- Pick and mix sweets, bakery items, fruit and anything with an open wrapper.
- Bins close to the door, especially if they are not lidded.
- The staff area, where mugs, biscuits and lunches are left uncovered.
Wiping shelves at set times and lidding bins make a real difference. So does keeping the stock room door closed, because wasps that find their way into a back room are harder to remove than those at the front.
Finding the nest outside
A shop usually has a nest outside the building, in a wall, a gap under the eaves, a flat roof edge, a bush on the pavement or a hole in the ground at the rear. Wasps that keep arriving at the door from the same direction help to show where. Stand at the entrance for a few minutes at midday, and watch.
At the back, check yards, bin stores and sheds. A line of wasps entering and leaving one point is the clear sign. A nest in the first weeks of summer might be small, but by August it can hold between 2,000 and 10,000 wasps or more.
Do not stuff a hole or spray into it. Wasps that cannot use their usual entrance will try another route, and that may be your stock room. Take a picture from a safe distance and keep staff clear.
A useful test is to count. Note how many wasps you see at the door over five minutes, at the same time on three different days. If the number stays steady or climbs, the nest is active and growing. If you notice them only after someone opens a drink, you are more likely dealing with wanderers. Either way, a nest on your side of the street is worth dealing with, because the colony keeps producing new workers throughout the summer and the shop is the nearest source of sugar.
It also pays to talk to neighbouring traders. A café or a bakery nearby may already have had the same wasps, and comparing notes quickly shows which direction they come from.
What to do on the shop floor today
If a wasp comes in, shoppers will look to your staff for their cue. The best response is to stay calm. Keep still if it lands, or move slowly away, and let it fly out. Waving arms or swatting makes a sting more likely. A fly screen or bead curtain across the door stops most from entering while still allowing air through.
Avoid household sprays in the shop. They are not designed to be used near food, packaging or customers, and one spray does not stop a nest sending more. If food or drink is affected, remove it from sale.
Serve customers who are anxious at the far end of the counter if that is possible, and put a note on the door to explain that you are dealing with a nest. It tends to calm things down.
Treatment during or after trading hours
Wasp Exterminator Kent treats nests at shops, cafés, offices and homes. Every nest is charged at £120 and no more, with one visit guaranteed, and an extra nest found on the same property costs £60 per nest. No call-out charge is made, and the price is the same wherever the job is and whatever the hour.
The service operates seven days a week with same-day appointments. Evening and weekend visits are available, so a technician can attend after closing, or on a Sunday when the high street is quiet. Our technicians are fully insured and qualified, and the treatment they give is safe and effective.
Ask when you book whether the empty nest can be taken down, and tell us if the nest is on a wall shared with a neighbouring unit.
How to book from behind the counter
Note down where the wasps are coming in, how many you see at a time, and when the shop is quietest. Should anyone on site be allergic to wasp stings, say so when you book so that the visit can be prioritised.
Our number is 01622 410 019, and there is an online booking form on the contact page, which also covers urgent requests outside normal office hours. The form also works for an emergency outside office hours, which suits owners who can only enquire after closing.
When you have a date, tell your staff and neighbours, and ask them not to disturb the area. Once treated, keep the door screen and the shelf routine through autumn.
Wasps on your property in Strood?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.