When Is Wasp Season in Willesborough?
A wasp nest on a house is usually found in a handful of predictable places, and the calendar tells you when to look at each one.
Where on the house nests start
Wasps build in a variety of places, but on a house the favourites are few. Nests are started from late April, depending on the weather, in gaps in eaves, in walls and in chimneys, and the same handful of spots tends to be used year after year.
For someone living in Willesborough, or anywhere else, it helps to treat the outside of the house as a checklist. Different parts of the building matter at different times of year, and knowing which to look at when saves you a lot of wandering around with your neck craned.
This article walks around the house in the order the wasp season suggests, starting with the spots to check first.
Eaves, soffits and fascias: the first check
The eaves are the most popular place for a house nest. The gap between the roof edge and the wall, behind the fascia board, or in the soffit, provides shelter, warmth and a discreet entrance.
In late April and May, stand back from the house and look along the roofline on a warm afternoon. You are looking for a wasp flying in and out of the same gap. Do this at the front, back and sides.
- Binoculars help you see the entrance without going close.
- Watch for a few minutes at each section.
- Note the position by counting windows or tiles from a corner.
Do not put a ladder against the eaves to investigate. Wasps can swarm and sting if threatened, and a ladder is a very poor place to be when they do. Early spring is the best time to deal with nests, so a call at this point is ideal.
Take a note of anything you find in the form of a photograph, even a poor one. Mark the position on the picture with your finger or a quick sketch. When you ring, you will be able to say exactly which part of the roofline the wasps are using.
Chimneys and flues: the quiet candidate
A chimney that is not in use is a sheltered, dry, undisturbed space, and it suits wasps well. Nests in chimneys are not always obvious, since the entrance is at the top and the nest is out of sight. The signs are often indoors, in the form of wasps appearing in the fireplace or around it.
- Look at the chimney pot and the top of the stack on a warm day.
- Check whether wasps are going in and out of the top.
- Notice any wasps in the grate, the hearth or on the walls near the fireplace.
- Listen for a buzzing or rustling from inside the chimney breast.
If you see wasps in the room, keep the room closed off and do not light a fire or poke up the chimney. In June and July the colony is growing and a chimney nest can send plenty of insects into the room.
A flue lining that is cracked or an unused vent may provide an extra route, but this is for a builder, not for you. Wait until the nest has been treated before arranging any repairs.
Walls, air bricks and pipes: the summer additions
By midsummer, nests that began in gaps in the wall or around the openings for pipes, vents and air bricks become noticeable. A line of wasps going into the brickwork, a pipe collar or a vent grille is a sign.
Cavities inside walls can hide a nest, and the first sign may be a hum in a room or wasps crawling along the inside of a window. The nest may be a long way from where the wasps appear.
At the August peak, the nest can hold from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps, and the traffic is hard to miss. Keep the windows nearest the activity closed, and keep the room's door shut if wasps are coming through. Never seal an entrance, because the wasps will look for another way out, which can lead into the house.
Look, too, at places where services enter the house: gas, water and cable entries are often loosely sealed. These small gaps are easy to miss, and wasps notice them.
Outbuildings, porches and extensions
The house is not the only structure. Porches, extensions, conservatory roofs, garages and sheds all have gaps of their own, and they are checked less often because they do not feel part of the home.
Make a list of every structure on the property and visit each one in your check. Include the area around the back door, bin store and any lean-to. These are the sort of places where a nest can grow for weeks without anyone noticing.
In late summer, as wasps seek sweet things, any building with a bin, a fridge or recycling will attract more wasps. If you see numbers rising around a particular outbuilding, look more carefully for an entrance close by.
Do not forget that neighbouring buildings can matter. A shared wall or a fence with an outbuilding on the other side may have a nest that sends wasps in your direction. A friendly word with the neighbour is worth more than a lot of guessing.
Booking a visit
Whatever part of the building is affected, Wasp Exterminator Kent treats nests at a fixed £120 each, with one visit guaranteed, and £60 for each additional nest on the same property. There is no call-out charge, and the price does not depend on the position of the nest or the time of day.
Same-day service and evening or weekend appointments are available, and the business is open seven days a week. Fully insured and qualified technicians handle both domestic and commercial work. Ring 01622 410 019 or use the booking form on the contact page. Describe the position as closely as you can, and mention if anyone at home is allergic to stings so the booking can be prioritised.
Wasps on your property in Willesborough?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.