Why Are Wasps Flying Into Your Warehorne Home? Common Causes and Solutions
Curtains, blinds and net curtains make it easy for a wasp to hide and hard to remove it, so a calm method matters more than speed.
Why they hide there
When a wasp is inside, it flies to the light. It will bump against the window, then often crawl into the fold of a curtain or behind a roller blind, where it rests. The next time someone draws the curtain, the wasp is crushed or startled, and a sting follows.
This is one of the most common ways people are stung indoors. In Warehorne and elsewhere, it happens in the morning when curtains are pulled back, or in the evening when they are closed.
A wasp that hides behind fabric is not being sly. It is looking for a dark, still place, and a fold of curtain is ideal. If you have a house full of drapes, a cluttered sill or a pile of cushions by the window, you are providing a lot of hiding places.
Check before you touch
Make it a habit during the wasp season to look before you pull. Run your eye along the top of the curtain, the folds and the bottom hem. Give the fabric a gentle shake from the very edge, not the middle. With a roller or venetian blind, raise it slowly and watch for movement.
If you cannot see anything but hear a buzz, stand back and wait. Open the window as wide as it goes.
The same care applies to laundry. Towels and clothes drying on a radiator or a clothes horse near a window can hide a wasp, as can a coat on a hook. Shake them out before wearing, and check the pockets and folds.
A calm removal method
To free a wasp from a window:
- Open the window or door nearest it as wide as possible.
- Stay still for a moment and keep your hands away from the fabric.
- If it is on the glass, place a clear tumbler over it, slide a stiff card underneath and carry it outside.
- If it is behind a curtain, leave the room and close the door for an hour or so.
- Return slowly, and check again before touching the fabric.
Avoid smacking it through the cloth. That is how most stings happen.
If a wasp does settle, resist the urge to try to squash it against the window with a magazine or a rolled newspaper. A wasp that is threatened releases an alarm scent that can draw others, and the risk to you is much higher than any benefit.
It is wise to pick a spot to release a wasp that is well away from the door, so it does not come straight back. A tumbler carried to the end of the garden is better than one released on the step.
Make windows less inviting
Net curtains and blinds that are always closed can trap warm, still air, which wasps find welcoming. If you have a gap above a blind, or a window that does not close properly, they can get behind and stay.
Keep windows closed while the curtains are shut, or screen them. Wash and shake out curtains once or twice in the season, because dust and dead insects at the bottom can hide more than one wasp.
In a house with lots of windows, consider fitting inexpensive fly screens to the ones most used in summer. They take little time to fix and make a considerable difference. Ask at a hardware shop for a type that suits your frames.
When it keeps happening
A wasp behind the curtain once is a stray. Several on different days, especially if no food is in the room, may be coming from a nest close to the window. Look at the frame, the eaves above and the wall around it. Nests begin in late April, depending on the weather, and grow until August, when a colony can hold from 2,000 to 10,000 or more.
Do not block a gap or spray round the frame. Note the dates and the numbers, and book a visit. If stung, wash the area, remove the sting if visible and use a cold pack. Call 999 for swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a spreading rash. Anyone who has reacted badly to a sting should speak to their GP.
A single wasp behind the curtain on a hot day may be nothing to worry about, but it is worth noting if it is the third in a week. Keep a tally on a notepad, and if the number grows, treat it as a sign.
Treat each new sighting as another piece of evidence rather than a one-off.
Booking a visit
The fixed price for dealing with a nest is £120 for each one, with one visit guaranteed. A further nest on the same property is £60 each. You pay no call-out charge, and there is nothing extra for the area or the hour. Fully insured, qualified technicians work seven days a week for domestic and commercial customers, with same-day service available.
To book, call 01622 410 019 or fill in the online booking form. Tell us if anyone in the house is allergic to stings so the booking can be prioritised, and ask about taking down the empty nest after treatment.
If you are in rented accommodation, tell whoever is responsible for the property, and check your tenancy agreement for what is expected of you.
Keep a small torch handy and look at the window frame and the gap beside the sill before the visit. If the wasps are entering from the outside, note where you saw them, so that the technician does not waste time. Tell us which rooms are affected and whether the curtains can be moved.
Wasps on your property in Warehorne?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.