Can You Remove a Wasp Nest Yourself? Advice for Great Ness Homeowners
Many people believe a wasp nest is safe to tackle at dusk or after dark, but a torch, a ladder and a disturbed colony make that plan more dangerous, not less.
Where the dusk idea comes from
Advice to remove a nest in the evening is repeated so often that it sounds like common sense. The thinking is that wasps are quieter when it is cooler or dark, that more of them are inside the nest, and that you can approach without being noticed. In a village like Great Ness, in north-west Shropshire, where evenings can be dark and quiet, it seems like a sensible plan.
It is true that fewer wasps are in flight late in the day. It does not follow that the job becomes safe. A nest holds the colony, and the colony is at home in the evening. What you are really doing is approaching the nest when almost every wasp is inside it, and then upsetting all of them at once.
The problems with working in the dark
Light is the first difficulty. You need a torch to see the entrance, and a torch beam can attract and confuse wasps. Whether you hold it or fix it somewhere, you lose a hand, and you cannot easily see the wasps that begin to emerge.
The second difficulty is that you cannot see your footing, your ladder, your route back or anything else in the garden that might trip you. Falling or backing into a bush with a swarm behind you is far more likely in poor light.
Third, a stressed colony does not go back to sleep. Wasps that are alarmed at night may leave the nest and fly towards lights, windows and open doors. Many a household has ended up with wasps clustered around a lamp or the kitchen window after a failed evening attempt.
A calmer way to think about timing
Timing does matter, but not in the way the myth suggests. The right time to deal with a nest is as early as possible after you find it. Wasps start building nests in early April depending on weather and how mild the spring is, and the colony grows through summer until it peaks in August. A small, new nest is a smaller problem than a large, established one.
What you can control is your own behaviour around the nest. In the evening, keep away from the entrance, avoid shining lights at it, and close windows that face it, particularly if you have lamps on indoors. Light attracts wasps that are in flight, so drawing curtains or blinds on that side of the house can help.
If you need to go out into the garden after dark, use a route that keeps you well away from the nest, and do not stop to look at it.
Evening appointments, without the improvisation
There is no reason to attempt anything yourself in the evening when appointments are available. Wasp Exterminator Shropshire offers evening and weekend visits, as well as same-day service, seven days a week, so the timing can suit you without your having to take a risk.
The technician is fully insured and qualified, and handles the nest with the right protection and equipment. Treatment is a fixed £80 per nest, an additional nest on the same property is £40 and there is no call-out charge or added cost for time of day.
If the nest becomes a problem outside normal office hours, the online form can be used for emergency service. You can also phone 07916 322 280.
What to tell the booking line
A few details make a visit run smoothly. Say where the nest is, and what it is attached to, such as a gable end, a hedge or a shed roof. Mention whether wasps are getting indoors, and whether anyone in the household is allergic to stings. Ask whether the empty nest can be taken down after treatment.
If you are not sure that the insects are wasps, say so. The business treats wasps, not bees. For honeybees or bumblebees the right step is to contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation.
The technician covers Great Ness and the villages around it, for homes and commercial premises alike.
What the nest does overnight
A nest is not a quiet place at night. In warm weather, wasps near the entrance fan their wings to cool the colony, and you may hear a low hum from a loft or wall cavity. If you can hear it with your ear against the wall, the nest is large enough to matter.
Come the morning, wasps leave in numbers as the day warms. This is the point at which a sleepless householder may be tempted to act, hoping to catch them as they wake. That is not a safe moment either. The first wasps out will be on guard.
The calmest way to deal with a night of worry is to write the details down, check that windows are closed, and book as soon as it is morning. If the nest is causing real alarm during the evening, the online form can be used for emergency service out of normal hours.
It is also worth remembering that a nest does not need to be dealt with in the dark to be dealt with quickly. Same-day service is offered, so a morning phone call can often lead to treatment the same day.
Keep this in mind on warm evenings, when the temptation to act is strongest.
- Keep lights low or curtains drawn on the side of the house facing the nest.
- Keep children and pets indoors after the afternoon.
- Do not go near the nest with a torch to check it.
- Cover food and bins before sunset.
- Write down what you saw during the day so you can describe it clearly.
This list is about avoiding trouble, not treating the nest. The treatment itself is best left to the person trained to do it.
Wasps on your property in Great Ness?
Fixed price £80 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.