Why Are Wasps Flying Into Your Swanley Home? Common Causes and Solutions
Ripe apples, plums and pears give off sugars that wasps love, and picking up fallen fruit is one of the most effective steps a gardener can take.
Sweet fruit and hungry wasps
A tree full of ripe fruit is one of the best sources of food a wasp can find. As apples, pears and plums ripen, they soften, split and begin to ferment on the ground. The sweet liquid draws workers from far around, and they feed until they are drunk on it.
Late in the season, wasps care less about protein and more about sugar, so windfalls become even more attractive. A garden in Swanley with a laden tree can seem to be buzzing from morning till dusk. The step from the lawn to the kitchen is a short one.
There is a further quirk of late-season behaviour: wasps that have been feeding on fermenting fruit can seem sluggish and erratic, and are easily irritated. A wasp that crashes into your arm while you are picking is not being aggressive on purpose, but it is more likely to sting if squashed.
Gardening habits that help
You can enjoy fruit and keep wasps away with a handful of habits:
- Pick up windfalls every day and bin them in a lidded container.
- Harvest fruit as soon as it is ripe, not when it begins to fall.
- Do not leave baskets of fruit standing in the sun.
- Use a covered bin for peelings, not an open bucket.
- Move compost bins away from the house, and keep the lid on.
- Wash sticky hands, tools and trugs after picking.
A tidy ground under the tree is the biggest single gain. It takes five minutes a day.
If you have more fruit than you can use, share it early or store it where wasps cannot reach it. Windfalls bagged and left by the gate are just as attractive as those on the grass, so take them away or bin them straight away rather than leaving a heap.
From garden to kitchen
Fruit you bring into the house can attract wasps indoors as well. A bowl of plums on the table, a jar of jam cooling on the side or a pan of apples being stewed all give off a scent. Keep windows shut while you preserve, cover fruit with a cloth, and wipe sticky spills at once.
If you are making juice or cider, store it in sealed containers. An open demijohn is a very strong draw. When you put out waste from fruit preparation, tie it up and place it in the outside bin immediately.
Think too about the route fruit takes from the tree to the house. A path of dropped pieces, a sticky wheelbarrow and a trug left on the doorstep is a trail that leads wasps to your door. Wash the barrow and the trug outside before you bring them near the building.
Fruit trees can hide nests
Dense branches, hollow trunks and the ground beneath old trees make good places for nests. If wasps are entering a hole in the bark, a gap in a hedge or a hole at the foot of the tree, a colony may be living there.
Wasps start building from late April depending on the weather, and a nest can hold from 2,000 to 10,000 or more by August. Do not shake branches or pick fruit near a busy spot. A person up a ladder who disturbs a nest is in a dangerous position. If you suspect one, step down slowly and keep others away.
Hedges and borders next to a fruit tree should be checked from a distance as well. A ground nest often shows as a small hole with a steady stream of wasps in and out. Mow around it carefully, or better still, stay away from the spot until it has been treated.
After a nest has been treated, wasps that were out foraging at the time may still return to the spot for a short while. Keep your distance, keep the family clear and do not try to sweep up or clear the site yourself. If you notice continued activity, tell us and we can advise you.
If someone is stung while picking
Move away calmly. Wash the area, remove the sting if you can see it and use a cold pack. Dial 999 at once if there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. People with known allergies should speak to their GP.
Wear closed shoes and avoid drinking from a can while working among fruit, since a wasp can land on the rim unnoticed.
Children love picking fruit. Make sure they know to look before they reach, to wear shoes, and to leave any fruit that has wasps on it. A simple rule that is easy to follow is that anyone who sees a wasp on the tree calls an adult and moves away.
Getting the nest treated
If tidiness has not cured the problem, book a visit. Wasp Exterminator Kent charges a fixed £120 for each nest treated, with one visit guaranteed. A further nest at the same address costs £60 more. There is no call-out charge, and no extra for location or time of day. Technicians are fully insured and qualified, and domestic and commercial customers are welcome seven days a week.
You can phone 01622 410 019 or fill in the online booking form. Same-day service is available. If anyone in the household is allergic to stings, say so when booking so the visit can be prioritised.
After the visit, ask the technician about the best way to pick up fruit and tidy the area. They may have advice on keeping the tree and the garden easier to manage through the rest of the season.
Wasps on your property in Swanley?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.