Wasp Nests Under Roof Tiles – A Common Problem for Stubbs Cross Homes
A windy night can loosen a tile or lift a board, and a small new gap can be enough for a wasp to move in. Here is what to check and what to avoid.
How the weather leaves openings
Roofs are built to shed water, not to be airtight. After a spell of strong wind, a hard frost or a long hot summer, tiles shift, mortar cracks and boards warp. The changes are usually small, and nobody notices them from the street.
A gap that appears in April or May is exactly what a wasp is searching for. A wasp does not need to push a tile aside; it only needs a space that gives it a dry, shaded cavity to start a colony in.
That is why a nest sometimes appears in a roof that had no wasps in previous years.
It is not a sign of neglect. In Stubbs Cross, as elsewhere, a normal roof develops weak points with time.
Older roofs are particularly prone to this, because the fixings and mortar have had more years of weather. Even a roof that was repaired not long ago can develop a slipped tile in a bad winter.
Checking the roof from the ground after bad weather
It is sensible to look over the roof after a storm, but do it from the ground. Stand back, use binoculars or a phone with zoom, and move slowly along each side of the house.
- Tiles that look out of line, sit higher than their neighbours or have slipped down the slope.
- Cracked tiles with a dark gap showing beneath them.
- Lifted or missing mortar along the ridge or at the edge of a gable.
- A loose or hanging board at the eaves.
- Any spot where you see wasps landing and then vanishing.
Photograph anything you find, and make a note of which side of the house it is on.
It is easy to overlook the less obvious places, such as the junction between the roof and a chimney, a valley between two slopes or the end of the ridge. A few extra minutes at those points can reveal a problem you would otherwise miss.
When a damaged tile has a nest behind it
If the gap you find has wasps using it, the repair is no longer a quick fix. A tile that is loose with a nest underneath is not something to touch. The movement alone can bring the colony out.
A roofer will want the nest treated before starting work, for their own safety. It is much better to arrange this in the right order than to have the tile replaced with the wasps still there.
Insurance after a storm is another matter. Whether a claim for roof damage is possible depends on your policy, and you should check the wording or ask your insurer. That is separate from the nest.
If a ladder is needed to inspect the damage, that is the roofer's job, not yours, and it should come after the wasps have been dealt with.
Do not repair it yourself
After a storm there is a pull to tidy up at once: climb up, push the tile back, plug the hole and be done. With wasps present this is a mistake. A ladder, a roof slope and a colony you cannot see make an unsafe combination.
If you only suspect wasps, you still do not know where the nest is or how large it is. Resetting a tile above a nest can break the fabric of the nest, and once the wasps are angry, there is nowhere safe to stand.
Wait for the nest to be treated, then ask a roofer to deal with the damage. Temporary measures from the ground, such as a tarpaulin, are best left to a professional too.
Temporary fixes are tempting after a storm, such as a bit of tape on a lifted board or a sheet of plastic over the gap. Near a nest, any such patching means being close to the entry and shaking the roof, and it traps wasps just as filler does.
Staying safe until the visit
Keep away from the part of the roof that has the damage, and keep children and pets in another part of the garden. Close windows on that side of the building.
Do not leave food or sweet drinks out. Wasps visit them as well as the nest, and a picnic near a damaged roof is a poor idea.
Should anyone be stung, wash the skin gently, take out the sting if you can see it and apply a cold pack. Phone 999 without delay if there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, or a wheeze or trouble breathing, or if dizziness or a widespread rash develops.
Shut the windows near the damage in the afternoons, when the wasps are busiest, and put a note on a door that opens beneath the roof edge so that visitors use another one. These are small steps, but they stop most unpleasant surprises.
Price and booking
One nest is priced at a fixed £120 per nest, with no extra for attending. An additional nest on the same property is simply £60 extra. There is no extra for the roof being damaged or awkward to reach, and no added cost for the day or hour. The price graphic lists one visit guaranteed.
Appointments run seven days a week, with same-day service as well as evening and weekend slots. Ring 01622 410 019 or use the booking form on the contact page; the form is available for emergencies outside normal hours too. Domestic and commercial customers are both treated, and the technician is fully insured and qualified.
Once the nest is dealt with and the traffic has stopped, have a roofer make the repair. Ask the technician whether the empty nest can be taken down first, since access is easier before the repair.
If a roofer is already booked for storm repairs, tell them about the wasps today. They would rather know before they climb up than after, and it may change the order in which the jobs are done.
Wasps on your property in Stubbs Cross?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.