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Original poster

What to do about a wasp nest

27 replies

Jilljams · 19/08/2019 14:27

So there’s a wasp nest in the wall next to my bedroom window, they’ve made their home in a gap in the brick work. Is it worth getting it removed and how do I got about that? How much longer will the wasps be around for, do they live right into the autumn and is their home a one year only thing? I don’t think I want to host them year after year. They’re not affecting me too much except I can’t open the bedroom window unless I rig up some sort of netting and there’s quite a lot of them in our garden so I worry about the kids getting stung.

OP posts:
bluetue · 19/08/2019 14:37

Come autumn you will have lots of strung out wasps hovering around your property as they are unemployed and become lazy.

this is when they are most likely to sting you as they have no hive to keep themselves busy with.

I would call pest control as the sting I got during September was the worst sting of my life and took 3 months to heal.

TheMonaOgg · 19/08/2019 14:38

I called our council out to get rid of a wasps nest a few years ago. The pest controller refunded my fee and told me to wait until dusk when the wasps return to the nest and to spray the contents of a container of ant powder through the entrance hole. He said that this was basically what he was going to do anyway. It worked a treat. Assuming you can get to the hole of course!

Original poster
Jilljams · 19/08/2019 14:39

Oh no that sounds awful. I didn’t realize stings could take so long to heal.

OP posts:
kjhkj · 19/08/2019 14:40

is it not covered by your household insurance? If not its about £40 to get someone to come out and spray it.

winesolveseverything · 19/08/2019 14:40

I'd get them removed, they will start to make a right nuisance of themselves in the next month before they finally die out.

We had 2 in our loft a few weeks ago, they were entering under the guttering, not causing a massive issue, but with an allergic child in the house we had no choice.

Cost £50 to do both nests. The guy said they would become a problem in sept as they suddenly stop having a purpose in life as no young to rear, and that they are hanging about waiting to die!!

Ring around and try and get a recommendation from a friend.. Some of the companies I rang were quoting nearly £200... Apparently the local council also direct you to the expensive ones too..

Original poster
Jilljams · 19/08/2019 14:41

@TheMonaOgg did they not wake up and come after you? I imagined they’d sleep with one eye open or at least have someone on guard overnight.

OP posts:
Hoppinggreen · 19/08/2019 14:43

We had one last summer and I wasn’t too bothered at the time but I got stung last September (on holiday so not by our resident wasps) and it really really hurt for 2 days and then hurt a bit for another few days and I still have a small mark now so if they come back they’re dead!
Ironically I was stung while explaining to DS that he shouldn’t panic about wasps because they rarely stung and even if they do it doesn’t hurt much - I had to pretend to be fine!

Original poster
Jilljams · 19/08/2019 14:44

£200?! If it costs that then I’m sending my husband in with the ant powder.

OP posts:
Herocomplex · 19/08/2019 14:47

I don’t think they come back to a used nest, do they? So leave it in place.

We had a massive one in our loft once, it was old, my DH removed it to show me, it was very impressive, such a lot of work!

TheMonaOgg · 19/08/2019 14:49

No they get sleepy at dusk and there were no revenge attacks!

MzHz · 19/08/2019 14:58

Get someone out

Cost us £40 and took minutes

We shall not dwell on our own diy attempts where I was the last of the 3 to have a crack at the nest with a spray... wasp stings bloody hurt!!

For ages.

I held the tissue with vinegar on my face as I texted Colin the Destroyer...

MzHz · 19/08/2019 14:59

English wasps are smaller than European wasps but MUCH more aggressive

Call the guy.

winesolveseverything · 19/08/2019 15:49

Meant to add- we tried 3 times ourselves- husband keeps bees so got his suit on and went up the ladders..! Didn't work!

ajandjjmum · 19/08/2019 15:56

We've had a number of nests over the years, although they never use the same one twice.

We've normally paid between £60 and £80 to get it removed.

This year DH got a spray thing from Amazon, that you put powder in, and spray in to the hole when they've all gone to bed, or first thing in the morning! It worked.

Yaflamingalah · 19/08/2019 16:02

We got the council pest control to remove one for us a couple of years ago. We own our home but the local council were more than happy to help us. I think it cost about £30. He also came the same day because we had small children.

MynameisJune · 19/08/2019 17:49

We had two last year and we had them trying to get in the house as late as end of October. They’d be attracted to our outside light and then fly in whenever we opened the front door. Definitely get rid of the wasps but leave the nests as it will deter any others next year.

Knittedfairies · 19/08/2019 17:58

I think the council's 'pest man' charged us £40 ish when he came a couple of years ago. (I made the mistake of asking him whether he'd ever dealt with a large nest. He had; he said it was the size of a wheelie bin in the eaves of a chalet bungalow, next to a 7 year old's bedroom)

nespressowoo · 19/08/2019 18:10

We had one removed on the weekend. Cost £45, some quoted over £200! He had a big long pole and sprayed white powder into it. The wasps got really angry, hundreds of them, he said not to go out for a couple of hours. After that they'd all gone! It was amazing!

Boiledeggandtoast · 19/08/2019 18:21

We had one last year near an upstairs window. We kept the window shut but left the nest alone and by end of autumn the wasps were all gone and did not reappear this year.

Almostfifty · 19/08/2019 18:42

We've just had one. DH put the powder in late evening, and did it for a few days running, to kill off the hatchlings too. Dead wasps everywhere.

GreyGardens88 · 19/08/2019 18:46

Wasps stings are no joke, they will attack you for no reason, definitely call the pest controller.

minibroncs · 19/08/2019 18:49

I had one at front of house, but I just waited for it to die off naturally then sealed the gap up.

Now I'm more vigilant at the start of nest season and put wasp powder round any gaps or anywhere I start to see activity before it gets into full swing.

minibroncs · 19/08/2019 18:53

Although wasps don't reuse nest sites, on account of them being filled with wasp carcasses.

The new queens find somewhere warm for winter then start their own nest the next year.

themouldneverbotheredmeanyway · 19/08/2019 18:55

Don't do what my dh did and block up the entrance during the day.

The wasps stuck outside were very, very angry and we had to stay inside until the pest controller arrived, as it was just outside our door.

Original poster
Jilljams · 19/08/2019 19:05

I’m definitely going to call someone out tomorrow. There’s too many of them in the garden now and I’m worried about stings as I’ve got two pre schoolers who love playing outside.

OP posts:
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