Wasp Nest Removal for Landlords and Rental Properties in Tenterden
When a building houses several businesses, nobody feels responsible for the nest in the shared wall, and the landlord ends up chasing the answer.
Everyone sees it, nobody owns it
A small commercial building with several occupiers has one thing in common with a block of flats: shared space. The car park, the entrance, the bin area and the outer walls belong to everybody and to nobody. A wasp nest in any of those places produces the same reaction. Each occupier notices it, assumes someone else has reported it and carries on, while staff make a detour around the door.
The landlord or managing agent is usually the person who finally hears, often after a customer has been stung or an employee has complained. A short, fixed procedure speeds that up.
Wasp Exterminator Kent covers Tenterden, in Kent, and surrounding villages, and treats commercial premises at a fixed £120 per nest.
The temptation in a multi-occupier building is to wait for the occupier closest to the nest to deal with it. But that occupier may be a tenant with only a short lease, or someone who has no authority over the outside of the building. A nest is easier to deal with when the landlord or agent treats it as their job to coordinate.
Setting up a simple reporting route
Tell every occupier, in one message, who to report wasps to. The message should be brief and use plain wording. It should name a contact and a phone number, and ask for the position of the nest and the date first seen.
- Name one person or one email address for wasp reports.
- Ask for the exact location, such as a particular wall or door.
- Ask occupiers not to try to deal with it themselves.
- Ask them to tell their staff to avoid the area.
- Ask whether any staff or regular visitors are allergic to stings.
Send it before the season starts if you can. A reminder in late April costs nothing and gets people thinking.
Keep a list of occupier contacts up to date, with phone numbers that are answered during the day. When a nest is found, you will want to reach every occupier quickly, and an out-of-date list slows you down. A one-line group message reaches everyone at once and leaves a record.
Working out who should act
Whether the landlord, the occupier or the management company should arrange and pay for pest control depends on the leases and any service charge. Leases vary enormously, so we cannot say which applies. Look for wording on common parts, external walls, pests, repairs and service charges, and check with your agent or adviser if unsure.
If the nest is in a common part, the landlord or managing agent will usually need to act. If it is within one unit, the lease for that unit may apply. If you cannot tell, book first and settle responsibility afterwards.
Think too about contractors and visitors who are not occupiers: cleaners, delivery drivers, window cleaners. They may use the same door, and they will not have read your notice. A sign on the door itself, in clear language, is more effective than any email.
Where a lease puts pest control on the occupier of a unit, the landlord may still choose to arrange the visit for the sake of the building. That is a decision for the landlord, and the cost question can be handled afterwards.
Keeping staff and customers safe
Put a sign on the affected door and redirect people to another entrance if one exists. Tell reception, or whoever welcomes visitors, to steer them away. Staff who smoke outside or take breaks near the nest should move elsewhere.
Anyone who is stung should wash the area, take out any visible sting and hold a cold pack to it. Call 999 if the face, lips or throat swell, or if there is wheezing, dizziness or a widespread rash. A colleague with a known allergy should speak to their GP about what to carry, and should tell the person making the booking.
Customers are the group most likely to be caught out, since they do not know the building. A friendly member of staff at the entrance explaining that the door is temporarily closed is better than a sign alone, and avoids the sight of a visitor walking straight up to a nest.
Booking around working hours
Evening and weekend appointments suit offices that are empty at those times. The business is open seven days a week and offers same-day service where the nest is in the way of trading. Get in touch on 01622 410 019 or send the online booking form from the contact page.
Tell the business which occupiers are affected, who will provide access and whether the nest is in a common area. The price is the same whatever the time: £120 per nest and £60 for each additional nest on the same property, with no call-out charge. The technician is fully insured and qualified.
If your building has a car park or a yard, tell the business whether the nest is there. Parked vehicles can get in the way of access to a wall or hedge, and a message to occupiers asking them to move vehicles beforehand, from a safe distance, helps the technician.
After the visit: telling everyone
Send a second message to all occupiers saying that the nest has been treated and the area can be used again. Ask them to report any wasps that continue to use the spot over the next few days.
Keep the invoice with the building records and note who paid and how the cost was shared, if it was. Ask the technician whether the empty nest can be taken down, so that it does not remain on show at the entrance.
Wasps on your property in Tenterden?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.