EXCELLENT
Wasp Nest in a Cavity Wall – How Professionals Treat Hidden Nests in Little Owston
Before you phone about a nest in a wall, it helps to be sure what is living there, because wasps and bees need entirely different help.
Why identification matters
A cluster of insects around a hole in the wall might be wasps, but it might be bees, and the right response is very different. Wasps are the ones The Wasp Exterminator treats. If you have honeybees or bumblebees, the right step is to contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation, and not to attempt to remove or harm them.
Getting this right saves time and avoids upsetting insects that are valuable. It also helps the person you ring to give sensible advice. For a household in Little Owston, the same checks apply as anywhere in the area.
Plenty of people mix them up, and there is no embarrassment in it. Even experienced gardeners sometimes struggle to tell a bee from a wasp when it is flying quickly past.
Hornets are a different matter again, and are not something the service treats. If you suspect you are dealing with anything other than wasps, say so at the start of the call.
Telling them apart from a distance
Look from several metres away on a sunny day.
- Wasps are slim, smooth and brightly marked in yellow and black, with a narrow waist.
- Honeybees are more rounded and brownish, and often look slightly furry.
- Bumblebees are large, plump and hairy, and fly with a heavy, wobbly motion.
- Wasps tend to dart and hover near food and drinks; bees spend more time visiting flowers.
- Bumblebees often nest in small cavities and in the ground; their colonies tend to be small.
If you are unsure, take a clear photograph from a safe distance. It is better to say you are not certain than to guess. Do not go close enough to touch or disturb the entrance.
Behaviour helps too. If they are circling the bins or crowding around a dropped ice lolly, you are probably looking at wasps. If they are heading for the lavender, think bees.
A nest entrance with a steady, direct flow of slim yellow-and-black insects, most active on bright afternoons, points to wasps. Take your time and watch for five or ten minutes before deciding.
What to note before ringing
A little preparation makes the conversation quick.
- Which wall, and roughly how high the entrance is.
- When you first noticed activity, and whether it has increased.
- Whether any insects have got into the house.
- Whether anything has been done, such as spraying or blocking.
- Any people at home with allergies, plus pets and children.
- Whether there is a ladder or scaffold already against the wall.
This information lets the technician plan the visit properly. You do not need to be an expert.
Writing it down before you ring, rather than trying to remember on the phone, is often what makes a call efficient.
If more than one kind of insect seems to be using the wall, say so. It happens occasionally, and the technician will want to know before deciding what can be done.
Share the photograph and your notes with the person on the phone, and be ready to say how confident you are about what you saw.
What treatment of a hidden wasp nest involves
Once it is confirmed as wasps, the technician looks at where they are entering and treats the nest from that point where it is practical. The technicians are fully insured and qualified. The nest cannot be seen, and the technician does not attempt to open the wall.
Ask at booking if the empty nest can be taken down; often a nest in a cavity cannot be reached, and the technician will say. Afterwards, the entrance can be repaired once activity has ended.
A technician who has a good idea beforehand can arrive prepared and can tell you whether anything about the entrance will need special thought.
Ground-floor entrances are easy for the technician to reach, but a nest high on a gable may need extra equipment. Mention the height as accurately as you can without going near the wall.
Cost and booking
The price is £70 per nest, whatever the size, with a further nest at the same property at £25 extra and no call-out charge. You are told the price on the phone before the visit and nothing happens until you agree. A nest that needs special access equipment, because of where it is, might cost more.
Open seven days a week, offering same-day visits, for domestic and commercial properties. Phone 07798 792 774, or send the online booking form or contact page, and the technician in your area receives an SMS and email.
Wasps start nesting in early April, depending on the weather, and the colony is at its peak in August, with as many as 2,000 wasps in a nest, so earlier action is easier on everyone.
If you still cannot decide, describe what you see to the person on the phone. They can tell you whether it sounds like wasps and, if not, who is better placed to help.
If it turns out not to be wasps
If the technician finds that the insects are not wasps, you will be pointed in the right direction rather than asked to continue. A local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation can usually help with bees. Hornets and other pests are not something this service treats.
Whichever it is, keep clear of the wall, and do not block the entrance. If you rent, speak to your landlord and read your tenancy agreement to see who handles repairs.
It helps to tell everyone in the household what you have decided, so nobody tries their own solution in the meantime.
Keep the household away from the wall in the meantime, and avoid leaving food waste or open drinks near the area.
Wasps on your property in Little Owston?
Fixed price £70 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.