Although they do not carry disease, wasps do have a sting which can affect people in different ways.  Therefore if there is a wasp nest in, or close to, your home, you may wish to consider having the wasps destroyed.

 

How the nests start

 

In April, queen wasps emerge from their winter sleep and seek out places to start a nest.  This can be in hollow trees, in garden sheds or actually in your home, in the eaves, the loft or in a cavity wall.

 

As the summer goes on, the nest will grow and will usually reach its maximum size in September.  At this time, it could hold up to 20,000 wasps.  The wasps may remain active up to November, especially if the weather remains warm.

 

A sure sign that there is a wasp nest present will be a continuous activity of wasps entering and leaving the same point that leads to the entrance of the nest, for example under the eaves of your home.

 

Treatment

 

Wasps nests can be treated by the occupier, but this is only recommended when the nest is small.  Treatment should be carried out early or late in the day, when wasp activity is at a minimum.  Most hardware shops and garden centres will sell products for wasp treatments but you must take care to follow the instructions on the label.

 

If you do decide to treat yourself, please make sure you wear adequate clothing to protect you from wasp stings and that you have safe access to and from the nest location.  We recommend that you do not try to treat a nest while you are standing on steps or a ladder.

 

Council treatment

 

The council's trained pest control officer may be able to undertake a treatment for you, depending on exactly where the nest is.

 

He will tell you what he can do and what precautions you should take, and he will leave a safety sheet with you providing information about the insecticide that has been used.

 

There is a charge for this service|.

 

However, we recommend that a nest is only treated where the wasps come close to people. If left undisturbed, wasps are unlikely to be a pest and can be left alone.  At the end of the year, the nest will die and the wasps will not return to it again.