Are Wasps Dangerous? Understanding Stings and Nest Disturbance in Bishops Castle
Pets are curious, quick and not very good at taking a hint, so a wasp nest in the garden can become a problem for them before it troubles you.
Why pets get stung
Dogs snap at flying insects, cats pounce on anything that moves and rabbits or guinea pigs in runs cannot get away. A wasp that is caught in a mouth or on a paw will sting, and the pet usually yelps, paws at its face and tries to hide. Stings around the muzzle, mouth and paws are the most common.
The bigger concern is a nest. A dog that sniffs at a hole in a lawn or a cat that investigates a gap under a shed can set off the whole colony in a matter of seconds. Several stings at once are much harder on a small animal than one, and the animal may keep running back to the same spot unless it is stopped.
Spotting a sting on an animal
Signs are not always obvious, particularly on thick coats. Look out for these:
- sudden yelping and running away from a particular patch of garden
- pawing or rubbing at the face, mouth or a paw
- swelling around the lips, eyes or muzzle
- drooling, restlessness or hiding
- limping when the sting is on a foot
If you see swelling around the mouth or throat, difficulty breathing, vomiting, wobbliness or collapse, contact a vet immediately. Do not wait to see if it settles. Do not give your pet human medicines or home remedies, and follow the vet’s instruction on anything further.
Our general advice for people is to wash a sting and use a cold pack, but animals differ, so a phone call to your vet is the right next step for anything beyond a mild reaction.
Rabbits, guinea pigs and birds kept outdoors deserve a thought as well. They cannot escape, and a disturbed nest near an aviary or run can be distressing for them. Move cages to a calmer corner of the garden while a nest is active, and ask your vet if you are concerned about any animal that has been stung.
Small stings often look like nothing more than a puffy patch under the fur, so run a hand gently over a pet that has been upset and look closely at the nose, lips and paws.
Keeping pets away from nests
Pets cannot be told to avoid a nest, so the sensible approach is to remove access. Keep dogs on a lead or indoors if you know there is a nest in a particular corner of the garden, and shut cat flaps while the nest is active. Move hutches and runs well away from the flight path.
Wasps build in sheltered gaps and sometimes in the ground, which means a dog digging in a bank or a cat sleeping in a shed can disturb one without any warning. After the colony has peaked in August, the workers are numerous and quick to defend. Leave pets inside while a technician is working, and let them out again only when told it is safe.
Fallen fruit, bins and bowls
Wasps are drawn to sugar and protein, and a pet’s garden is full of both. Windfall apples, uneaten food left in a bowl on the patio, open bins and meat scraps all bring wasps close. A dog that eats a windfall with a wasp inside it can be stung in the mouth, which is one of the more worrying places.
Pick up fallen fruit daily, feed pets indoors in late summer and keep dustbin lids shut. Rinse out bowls rather than leaving them outside overnight. These habits do not stop a nest forming, but they reduce the number of encounters between wasps and animals.
Cats, dogs and the shed
Many pet owners find their first nest by watching what the animal pays attention to. A dog that returns to the same spot again and again, ears forward and nose twitching, may be tracking the flight line of a nest. A cat staring at an upper corner of an outbuilding may be doing the same.
That behaviour is worth taking seriously. Rather than letting them investigate, call the animal away and look at the area from a distance.
It helps to think through where your animals spend their day:
- garden sheds and garages where a cat might nap
- dens and tunnels in long grass or under shrubs
- compost heaps and bins where a dog scavenges
- kennels and hutches on or near a wall or hedge
- the ground at the base of a bank or tree, where a dog may dig
Any of these can hide a nest. The simplest safeguard is to fence off or shut off the suspect area until it has been dealt with. An old gate, a baby gate or a closed door is enough to stop curious animals from getting close.
Cats and dogs may also bring a wasp into the house, caught in fur or on a paw. If you see a wasp indoors after your pet has been outside, open a window and let it leave, then check the pet for stings.
Booking treatment in Bishops Castle
If there is a nest where your animals live and play, deal with it quickly. Wasp Exterminator Shropshire charges a fixed £80 per nest, with one visit guaranteed, and an extra nest on the same property is £40 extra. There is no call-out fee and no extra charge for the day or time of the visit.
The technician covers Bishops Castle and surrounding villages, works seven days a week and offers same-day service, with evening and weekend appointments. You can call 07916 322 280 or use the form on the contact page, which can also be used for emergency service outside office hours.
Tell the technician where the pets spend their time, and ask whether the empty nest can be taken down once it has been treated.
Wasps on your property in Bishops Castle?
Fixed price £80 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.