If you find you have a wasp nest you will have to decide if you are going to deal with it or leave it. Although wasp’s do pollinate, they are a nuisance as they will sting you. They will certainly pester you in your garden if you have food as they are always on the lookout for carbohydrates. So, what are the considerations when dealing with a wasp nest?
Our recommendation would always be for you to call a professional company to come and deal with your wasps. This is the safest way to get rid of this pest with no stress to yourself and will keep you safe. The price for a wasp nest treatment is under £100 in general so a small price to pay for your safety.
Location of Wasp’s Nests.
A queen wasp will start the wasp nest by herself, she chooses the location of the nest and then as she produces workers, they will continue the build whilst she is busy laying eggs. The nest is often started close to where the queen has overwintered. The most common place a queen wasp over winters is in a loft space. Heat rises and the loft is often warm enough for the queen to survive. They don’t always survive, however.
There are many other common places to find a wasp nest. A garden shed is a good place for a wasp colony to build their home as they are often made of wood. Wasps use wood to build their nest. They chew it and make a pulp to then construct the nest. Air vents are another good place for a wasp to build its nest as it leads to a cavity wall so plenty of room to build an undetected nest.
Other places you could find a wasp nest could be in a bush or tree. Not so common as they don’t do well in poor weather. You often find wasps in the ground; they are very good at taking advantage of a decaying root or tree stump. The void appears due to the decay and the wasps will then clear out the unwanted decomposing wood to make room for their nest.
Safety When Dealing with a Wasp Nest
When it comes to dealing with wasp’s nest there is a lot of safety to consider. Depending on the location of the nest, will vary how the nest is treated. There are lots of reasons why you should not treat a nest yourself. The first reason is knowing if you suffer from anaphylactic shock. If you are unaware of this, to be blunt it can put you in hospital but more importantly in extreme cases it can cause death. Just for this reason alone is a good enough reason to use a professional company.
A pest control technician will carry out a dynamic risk assessment and he will consider a plan to exit to safety if anything goes wrong. This becomes a problem if he is up a ladder or in an un-boarded loft. The temperament and behaviour of a wasp nest can change very quickly and the moment you treat the nest to kill it off the mood of the wasps will change instantly. They will release a danger pheromone that will tell the nest they are under attack. They will do everything possible to defend their home so they will attempt to sting anyone and everyone in the immediate location.
It is for this reason the technician who carries out the treatment will wear a bee suit to protect them from getting stung. They should warn you to close any windows and to stay clear of the area. Unlike bees, wasps can sting many times as their stinger is not barbed like a bee. Which means it can go in and out numerous times, each time injecting some venom.
Wasp Nest Size
A wasp nest starts the size of a golf ball in which the queen produces her first batch of workers. As the colony grows the nest that homes them does as well. The average size of a wasp nest is the size of a football. At this stage there will be in the region of 5000 to 8000 wasps. However, there are always bigger nests, and they grow to an alarming size, even up to a metre in diameter. It is worth remembering this if you are having thoughts of dealing with it yourself. That’s a lot of wasps chasing you to give you a sting.
Treatment of a Wasps Nest
There are many different chemicals on the market designed to deal with a wasp nest. Some are issued by powder, some are by aerosol spray, others can be by smoke. The method of treatment by a qualified technician will be considered whilst he is completing his risk assessment. It is important to know what can be used in different conditions. As with all pest control products the label will give clear direction on safety and the safe use of the product. These are legal requirements to follow.
Depending on the location of the nest, inside or out the environment needs to be considered. The chemicals used will not only affect the wasps, but also other insects in the area. A good example of this is treating a wasp nest in the ground. When an insecticide is used to treat the wasps, other ground crawling insects in the vicinity are going to have an effect on the local area if care is not taken. Using a powder close to a pond or natural water source is extremely dangerous as most insecticides are exceptionally harmful towards aquatic life. If there is any kind of wind present when treating a nest, then this could kill or harm the aquatic life in the pond.
How Not to Deal with a Wasp Nest!
I know it sounds obvious, but fire is a very silly way to consider dealing with a wasp nest. Especially in a wooden shed. A wasp nest is highly flammable and will burn very quickly. The trouble is the wasps will exit the nest looking to attack so whilst you are busy escaping the stinging wasps the fire can spread quickly.
Blocking a wasp nest entrance is not recommended. Some people think by blocking the entrance with expanding foam, it will kill off the nest. What you will in fact do is anger thousands of wasps and they will then go in search of a new route to get in and out. It is normally this point that pest control is called in and it is very difficult for a technician to ensure he is treating the nest.
What To Do If You Have a Wasp Nest.
It has been mentioned a couple of times now. If you discover you have a wasp nest, then we at Pest-Tech strongly recommend you use a professional pest control company to deal with it. It is very dangerous to attempt to eradicate them and you should consider your safety. A professional pest controller like https://pest-tech.org/ will take the stress out of the problem and resolve the issue.
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