Wasp Nests Under Roof Tiles – A Common Problem for Wigmore Homes
Garages, sheds and workshops often have roofs that nobody inspects for years. That makes them a favourite spot for a wasp, and a quiet place for a colony to grow.
The roofs nobody looks at
A house roof gets glanced at every time you pull up on the drive. The roof of a garage at the end of the plot, a workshop behind the shed or a lean-to against the side wall may go years without a proper look. Cracked tiles, warped sheets and gaps along the wall plate all build up unseen.
A wasp searching for a nest site in late April or May treats such a building like any other. She needs a dry, enclosed space where little happens, and a store full of boxes with a roof gap above is ideal. The colony then grows through the summer and is at its largest in August.
Wigmore, near Gillingham, has its share of detached garages and sheds, and every one of them is a possible home for a nest.
Old garages with timber rafters and a shallow pitch are not the only candidates. Newer prefabricated buildings have joints between panels and along the ridge, and those can be just as inviting.
How you tend to find out
Because outbuildings are visited less often, the discovery is often abrupt. You open the door to fetch a mower, the bikes or the Christmas decorations, and a group of wasps is flying about the ceiling.
- Wasps entering and leaving at the top of the door frame or along the eaves.
- A buzzing that you can hear from outside, even with the door shut.
- Wasps collected on the inside of a garage window, trying to get out.
- A pale, papery patch on a rafter, or a nest stuck to the underside of the roof.
If the buzzing is loud when you get near the door, stop and step back. Do not go in to see how big it is. The wasps inside are in a confined space, and an open door lets the sunlight onto them.
A tip worth remembering: if you hear a hum from a garage on a warm afternoon but see nothing outside, check the window glass before you go near the door. Wasps gathering at the pane tell you there is a colony within reach.
Why you should not go inside for a look
It is the instinct of anyone with a garage to investigate and, if possible, take whatever is needed from inside. But a nest in the roof space of an outbuilding is often within arm's reach, and the shed itself acts as an amplifier of any shake or bang.
A better plan is to leave the door closed and observe from outside, from the lawn or the drive. Work out where wasps are coming and going. If they are using a gap above the door, a missing tile or a joint between sheets, that gives you a decent idea of where the nest lies.
Whatever you need from the garage will keep. Cars can be parked elsewhere for a while, and a wasp nest does not require you to leave anything in there that matters more than the wasps' calm.
Not a ladder job, and not a case for filler
Some outbuilding roofs are low enough to tempt people into a quick fix with a stepladder. The nest is often right behind the visible gap, though, and every wasp in it will react to a disturbance. There is nowhere safe to stand on a garage roof, and the sheets are often brittle.
Plugging the opening is no better. Wasps shut in a garage can find their way into the house by the connecting door, or crowd at the window glass and then escape the moment someone opens the door. Leaving the hole as it is gives them a single predictable route out until the nest is treated.
Please also resist the idea of leaving the door open to let them out. It may let the wasps scatter, but it also invites more to the opening, and anyone walking past is in the line of fire.
Storing flammable or fragile items near the roof makes any improvised attempt even more foolish, and the extra risk is not worth the saving.
Contents, vehicles and pets
Outbuildings often hold things that matter: a car, a bike, a freezer, tools, a child's toys. Consider these before the technician arrives. Move cars away if you can do it without opening the garage door fully, and leave anything breakable where it is.
If you keep animals, such as rabbits, in a hutch against the wall, move the hutch to the far side of the garden. Pets should be kept indoors, and children should be told not to play near the building until the visit is over.
The technician needs a clear route to the area, so mention if there is a locked door, a side gate or a restricted path. If you will not be there, ask how access can be arranged when you book.
Price, booking and the empty nest
A nest costs a fixed £120 per nest, and a further nest on the same property is £60 extra, so a garage nest and a house nest would come to those two sums. There is no call-out charge, and nothing is added for a detached building. The price graphic adds that one visit is guaranteed.
The business is open seven days a week with same-day service, evening and weekend slots, and an online form for emergencies out of hours. Phone 01622 410 019 or use the form on the contact page. Domestic and commercial customers are both welcome, so a workshop or small unit is treated the same as a family garage.
When the activity has stopped, it is worth repairing the roof gap, so the building does not offer the same shelter next spring. The technician can say whether the empty nest can be taken down.
If you plan to convert the garage or fit a new roof, mention that when you book, since it affects when the repair should be done.
Wasps on your property in Wigmore?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.