When Is Wasp Season in Handford?
The school summer holidays coincide with the largest wasp colonies of the year, so a little preparation before the break makes the garden safer for the children.
The holidays and the peak overlap
For families, the year is divided by school terms. For wasps, it is divided by the growth of the colony. Unfortunately, the two overlap at exactly the wrong point. The long summer holiday runs from late July through August, and August is when a nest can hold as many as 2,000 wasps.
That means children are in the garden, in the street and at the park for long hours just as wasp numbers reach their highest. Families in Handford, like families everywhere, are better off sorting out a nest before the holiday starts than in the middle of it.
It helps to see the school year as a wasp calendar too. The autumn term starts as the colony declines, the spring term ends as the first queens begin, and the summer term closes just as numbers climb. Parents who think in terms of terms can slot the checks into the diary without much effort.
The aim is not to keep children indoors, but to make sure the garden they use is a sensible place to be.
Easter and May: a good time to look
The spring term is quieter. Wasps start building nests in early April depending on weather and how mild the spring is, and at this point the nests are small. A walk-round at Easter, or during the half-term break, is a good moment to check the shed, the eaves, the hedge and the corners of the garden.
Children can be involved in a sensible way. Ask them to be detectives from a distance, looking for a wasp that keeps flying to the same place. Make sure they understand that finding a nest means telling an adult and leaving it alone.
Easter holidays and half-term weeks fall in the period when queens are looking for sites. A quick look over the garden fits easily into a day when the family is at home anyway. Treat it as a small job to do together, from a safe distance, with a notepad.
If a neighbour has children, you might both agree to check boundaries at the same time. A nest on a shared fence is easy to miss when everyone assumes it is the other household\u2019s concern.
Before the long break
In the last weeks of the summer term, take a few minutes to check the places where children play.
- The trampoline, swing and climbing frame, and the ground beneath them.
- The shed or playhouse door and the gaps around it.
- The hedge or fence line where balls tend to go.
- The washing line and the bins at the back door.
- Any holes in lawns or banks at the edges of the garden.
If you find a nest, book treatment promptly, so that it is dealt with before the children are home all day.
It is worth deciding in advance who will make the call. In busy family households, an unreported nest can sit for days because everyone assumed someone else had phoned. A name on the fridge for the week avoids that.
If the household includes someone with a sting allergy, say so when you book so that the booking can be prioritised.
During the holidays
Garden snacks are the biggest attraction. Ice lollies, juice, fruit and sticky sandwiches draw wasps in late summer. Encourage children to eat at a table, and to wipe hands and faces afterwards. Use cups with lids, or drink from bottles rather than open cans.
Teach a simple rule: if a wasp comes near, stand still or walk away slowly, and do not wave or run. A calm child is less likely to be stung than a frightened one.
If a child is stung, wash the area, take out the sting if it is visible and hold a cold pack on it. Swelling of the face, lips or throat, trouble breathing, dizziness or a spreading rash all mean calling 999 at once.
School holiday clubs, paddling pools and garden parties also call for a plan. Place the food table away from any nest, keep bin lids closed and choose a spot for the party that is a good distance from the flight path.
When going out for the day, check bags and picnic baskets for wasps before getting into the car, and look into the cups before the children drink from them.
Days out and sleepovers
Holiday visitors, friends\u2019 children and sleepovers bring extra people to the garden, and not all of them know where the nest is. Tell the grown-ups as well as the children, and tell any child who is new to the house.
If a nest is found while visitors are staying, keep the area off limits, keep windows closed near it and book as soon as you can. Evening and weekend appointments are available, so the visit can happen while everyone is out.
Grandparents and other relatives who help with childcare should hear about the nest as well. They may be less quick to move, and a sting can be more serious for some older people.
Arranging treatment
Wasp Exterminator Shropshire offers treatment at a fixed £80 per nest, with an additional nest on the same property at £40 and there is no call-out charge, and the price is the same in the school holidays as in term time. Our technician is fully insured and qualified, and the job is covered by the single-visit guarantee.
The service runs seven days a week, with same-day service offered. Phone 07916 322 280 or use the online form on the contact page, and the technician will cover Handford and the area around it.
Start of term is a good moment for a final check. Make a note of what worked this year, and what to do sooner next time.
Wasps on your property in Handford?
Fixed price £80 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.