Wasp Nests Under Roof Tiles – A Common Problem for Wittersham Homes
A few clear photographs can shorten the booking call and help the visit run smoothly. Here is how to take them without going near the nest.
What a photograph can do
The technician cannot see your roof until they arrive, and a spoken description of a nest under the tiles can be vague. A good photograph shows where the entry is, how high it sits and what is around it.
It does not need to be a work of art. A plain, well-lit image taken from the garden or the road is worth far more than a close-up taken in a panic.
In Wittersham or elsewhere, a few minutes with a phone camera can improve the whole booking.
Photographs also help you explain things to a landlord, an agent or a neighbour. A clear picture saves a lot of talking, and it makes a record of the date the problem began.
Keeping a safe distance
The golden rule is that no photograph is worth a sting. Stay as far from the entry as you can while still seeing it, and use the zoom on your phone for detail.
- Never stand directly beneath the entry point, where the wasps fly in and out.
- Do not lean from a window to get a closer shot.
- Do not use a flash, since a sudden burst of light near the roof can unsettle the wasps.
- Do not take a selfie stick or a pole near the tiles.
- If the wasps start to follow you, move away calmly and indoors.
Take the pictures in daylight, when the wasps are active and the entrance is visible.
If you are using a phone, hold it steady with both hands and rest your elbows against something solid. The wasps are not the only reason to stay steady; a blurry picture of a roof is no use to anybody.
If you are not sure whether you are far enough away, you probably are not. Add a few more metres and zoom in further.
The shots that help most
Aim for three kinds of image. The first is a wide shot showing the whole side of the building, so that the technician can see the position of the entry in relation to the roof.
The second is a medium shot showing the part of the roof where the wasps are going in, with enough around it to show doors, windows or pipes nearby. The third is a zoomed shot of the entry itself, showing wasps if possible.
A short video of the traffic, filmed from a distance, shows the direction and speed of flight. Ten seconds is plenty, and it can be more useful than a still.
If there is a conservatory, extension or outbuilding close to the nest, include it in the frame. Those are the features that most often affect how the technician will reach the roof.
Do not worry if the wasps are hard to see in a still image. They are small, and the entry may look like an ordinary gap. The point of the picture is the location, and the video or your description covers the rest.
Adding the notes that photographs cannot show
A photograph cannot tell the technician how long the wasps have been there, how busy the entry is at different times, or whether anyone has been stung. Add those details when you ring.
Mention whether the access is easy, such as a side gate or an open lawn, or difficult, such as a narrow alley or a locked yard. Note whether there are pets, children or an allergic person in the household.
If you can, label each photo with the side of the house and the time. This avoids confusion if you send several.
You might also note the weather and the wasps' behaviour. If they seem calm, or alternatively very agitated, mention it. It is useful for the technician to know.
What not to do for the camera
Do not tap the wall, throw anything or shake the tiles to make the wasps visible. That provokes the colony, and it is not needed. A nest at work is easy to see when it is left alone.
Do not try to block the gap after taking the photo, either. The entry should be left as it is until the nest has been treated, or wasps will look for another way out and may come indoors.
For an ordinary sting, clean the spot, lift out any visible sting and then cool it with a cold pack. Get emergency help on 999 if the person has a swollen face, lips or throat, or struggles to breathe or wheezes, or if there is dizziness or a rash spreading across the body.
Sending the photographs and booking
For a single nest the fixed charge is £120 per nest, without any call-out cost. A further nest found on the property is £60 extra, no more. There are no extras for height or awkward access, and one visit is guaranteed according to the price graphic.
When you ring 01622 410 019, say that you have photographs, and ask how they can be sent. The online form on the contact page is another way to give details, including out of hours for emergencies. The business is open seven days a week, with same-day service and evening and weekend slots.
The technician is fully insured and qualified, and the service covers homes and businesses. After the treatment, some wasps may linger at the old entry for a while. Ask whether the empty nest can come down, and keep the photographs to show a roofer who repairs the gap.
Once the visit is over, a second photograph of the same spot a day later shows whether the activity has tailed off, and it is a useful record if you need to show a landlord or insurer what happened.
Wasps on your property in Wittersham?
Fixed price £120 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.