Why Are Wasps Flying Into Your Rednal Home? Common Causes and Solutions
A conservatory is warm, bright and full of glass, which makes it the room where wasps most often become trapped and where most panicked swatting happens.
A room that traps them
Wasps are drawn to warmth and light, and a conservatory provides both in large amounts. They fly in through an open door or roof vent, head for the brightest glass and then spend hours bumping against it, unable to find the way out. The more they struggle, the more irritable they become.
Rednal, a village in north Shropshire, has conservatories and sun rooms like anywhere else, and the problem is the same wherever you live. The room acts like a lantern, and the glass keeps the wasp inside.
The problem is worst on bright afternoons, when the sun heats the glass and the room fills with warm air. A wasp that has found its way in will spend most of its time at the highest point of the roof, which is exactly where you cannot reach it. It will rest there, drop down to the glass and climb up again, without ever finding the open door.
If you use the conservatory as a dining room or a place to work, this becomes a daily irritation, and it is a good reason to take a few simple precautions.
Where they come in
Most conservatories have several openings that are easy to overlook. It is worth walking round the room on a quiet day and checking each of them.
Check these in particular:
- roof vents and auto-opening windows that sit ajar all day
- the gap beneath patio doors where the brush seal has worn
- the junction between the conservatory roof and the house wall
- trickle vents in the window frames
- plant pots and garden furniture that provide a perch near the door
Fitting mesh to roof vents is a particularly effective measure.
Sun rooms with a polycarbonate or tiled roof sometimes have small gaps where the ridge or the gutter trim meets the house. Wasps that nest in the roof void of the house itself can find their way into the conservatory through these gaps, and from there into the living space.
Look for a trail of dead wasps on the floor beneath the ridge, or wasps emerging from a seam at the top of a wall. These are signs that something is happening above the glass.
Plants, food and drinks
Many conservatories hold plants, and some of them, particularly those with sticky nectar or aphids, will draw wasps. Flowering plants near the door pull insects into the room. If you can, move them outdoors during the peak of summer.
Meals in the conservatory create further temptation. Sweet drinks, fruit bowls and cake on the table are exactly what a wasp is looking for. Clear plates quickly, use lids on glasses and keep the bin outside.
Hanging baskets, geraniums and herbs near the door make a conservatory pleasant, but they also bring in aphids and nectar. Wasps often visit to feed on honeydew left by aphids on leaves. Check the undersides of leaves and wipe off sticky residues.
A bowl of fruit on the table is the same as an open invitation. Keep it in the kitchen or under a cloth.
Getting a trapped wasp out
Open the door wide and, if you can, dim the lights or close the blinds on the glazed side so that the brightest part of the room is the open doorway. Wasps head for light, so this guides them out.
Avoid swatting at a wasp against glass. A wounded wasp can release a chemical signal that attracts others, and a sudden movement can cause a sting. If you must remove it, a glass and a piece of card used gently will do. If someone is stung, wash the area, remove the sting if you can see it and use a cold pack. Call 999 for swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, dizziness or a widespread rash.
Blinds help. Pulling a blind down on the side of the conservatory furthest from the door makes the open doorway the brightest part of the room, and wasps head that way. Open the door slowly and leave the room for a quarter of an hour. Children and pets should stay out until you are sure the wasp has gone.
Never try to crush a wasp against the glass with a rolled newspaper. The glass rattles, the insect panics and you are very close to it.
When the wasps keep coming
If wasps appear in the conservatory every day despite closed vents and doors, they may be coming from a nest close by. Conservatory roofs can have gaps beneath the capping where the structure meets the house wall, and a nest can sit behind it.
A colony can hold as many as 2,000 wasps by August, and the nest will not go away on its own during the season. Each nest costs a fixed £80 flat, one visit is guaranteed and there is no call-out charge. If a second nest turns up on your property, add £40 for it.
Check the outside of the conservatory too. Look at the corners of the frame, the guttering and the point at which the glazing bars reach the wall of the house. A nest that sits in this area is often visible only as a small hole with traffic moving in and out.
Arranging a visit
Technicians are fully insured and qualified, and cover homes and businesses. To book, ring 07916 322 280 or use the online form on the contact page. Opening hours cover all seven days, and evening, weekend and same-day appointments are available. If a household member has a sting allergy, tell us so that the booking can be prioritised.
Wasps on your property in Rednal?
Fixed price £80 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.