When Is Wasp Season in Strood?
Rather than describing wasp season in general terms, this is a practical diary: what to do in each month so that a nest never catches you out.
Using the season as a to-do list
Most advice about wasps describes the insects. This article is about you and what you might do about them. The wasp year is predictable enough to be turned into a diary, with a small job for each month that keeps you a step ahead of any nest.
The framework is simple. New nests can appear from late April, with the weather dictating how soon. The colony grows through the summer, peaks in August, becomes keen on sweet food and drink in the late summer, and declines in autumn. A householder in Strood needs no more than that to build a useful routine.
None of the jobs below takes long. The point is to be in the habit of looking, because a nest found in its first weeks is far easier to deal with than one found in August.
April and May: look and learn
Start in the last week of April. The nests are only just beginning, and there is almost nothing to see, so what you are looking for is a pattern of behaviour rather than a structure.
- Walk the outside of the house and the garden on a warm afternoon and watch for wasps flying purposefully to one spot.
- Look up at eaves, soffits and gutters, and along the top of walls.
- Check the shed, garage, porch and any outbuilding.
- Look at lawn edges, banks and flower beds for holes with insects passing in and out.
- Take a photo of anything you find, from a safe distance.
If you find something in May, you have found the best possible time to act. Early spring is the best time to deal with nests, because the colony is still small and the job is as simple as it will ever be.
If you share the house with others, make the diary a family habit. One person can take the front, another the back, and a child can be given the job of reporting any wasp they see flying to the same place twice. It turns a chore into a game, and a second pair of eyes often spots something you have walked past a dozen times.
June and July: keep watching, keep clear
In June the colony is growing, and the activity at the entrance steadily increases. Your job now is to keep an eye on the spots you noted in the spring and decide whether they are getting busier.
Put a reminder on the calendar to look again every week. If the traffic is increasing, if wasps are starting to appear indoors, or if the nest is close to a door or a window, it is time to book. In July, be especially careful with garden tools. Mowing, strimming and hedge-cutting near a nest are the easiest ways to be stung, so check the area before you start.
Do not approach a live nest, and do not try to block or poke it. Wasps can swarm and sting if threatened, and the number of wasps increases every week.
August: the peak month
August is the month when the colony is at its largest, with a nest holding anything from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps. Your jobs now are mostly about keeping yourself comfortable.
- Keep food and drinks covered outdoors, and look in cans before sipping.
- Keep the bin lid closed and rinse out recycling.
- Keep windows near a suspected nest shut in the evening.
- Keep children and pets away from the nest area.
- Book a treatment if there is a nest on your property that you have not dealt with.
If a visit is needed, Wasp Exterminator Kent operates seven days a week with same-day service, so you do not have to lose a long stretch of the summer to waiting.
August is also the month when it is easiest to lose track of the diary, because everyone is away or busy. If you are going on holiday, check the property before you leave and tell whoever is looking after the house, or watering the plants, where any known nest is. Coming home to a full-strength nest in the porch is not a pleasant surprise.
September and October: look back and plan
In September the wasps are seeking sweet things, which makes them a nuisance at picnics and around bins. By October the colony is declining, and the garden quietens.
This is the month for a look back. Where was the nest? How early could you have spotted it? Is there a gap or hole in the building that deserves attention? Make a note in the diary, along with the date, so that next April you know where to look first.
If an active nest is still near a door, path or window, it is still worth treating. The decline in autumn is gradual, and a nest is a hazard while it is active.
Making the booking
When a job in the diary turns into a nest, the next step is a phone call or a form. Customers pay a fixed £120 for each nest, with one visit guaranteed, and £60 for every additional nest on the same property. There is no separate call-out charge, and the price is not affected by when the visit takes place.
The business works across homes and commercial properties, uses fully insured and qualified technicians, and is open seven days a week. Evening and weekend appointments are available. You can ring 01622 410 019 or use the booking form on the contact page. Tell the team if anyone at home is allergic to stings so that the booking can be prioritised.
Keep the diary from year to year. A simple notebook, or a note on the phone, with the dates and places will show you which parts of the property wasps favour, and it makes your April walk-round quicker and more targeted.
Wasps on your property in Strood?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.