wasps nest

[hercules]

Over the last 3 months or so we have been getting at least two wasps in the house each day and couldnt work out where they were coming from.

We've just looked in the loft and found several dead ones on the hatch. We must have a nest in our loft.

What happens next year? WIll we have a swarm in our house? Do we need to find the nest and dispose of it now? do we need to call environmental health? Who pays? Do we? Is a council service?

I called the council and had to pay. Not sure how much it was as its was 12 years ago. I did it in July and he said if I had waited any longer they would not have been able to fit me in for ages. Private companies do it too but cost more but then they will probably come faster.

I don't know if they use the same nest every year though

call your local council. If you are not in receipt of benefits, you will have to pay but as a rule, councils charge less than private firms.

When we had environmental health out to deal with rats in our loft about 18 months ago they charged £17, so not a fortune.

I'd start with the council and then, if they aren't successful, go with one of the private companies.

We've just had a wasps nest destroyed, I called the Environmental Health dept of my local council, they charged £35. If you are receipt of benefits some councils don't charge.

Apparently what normally happens is that when the weather gets colder the queen leaves the nest, then all the workers die. But this year because the weather has stayed milder for longer the queen hasn't left the nest yet.

DD1, DS and DH have all been stung this year, DS 3 times! Sounds awful but I'm glad it wasn't me as I am allergic to their stings. If nothing else, it has shown that DS and DD1 don't have an allergy (yet).

I called the Environmental Health dept of my local council, they charged £35. If you are receipt of benefits some councils don't charge.

Thanks for responses. I dont get any benefits but wil phone the council tomorrow.

Private firms seem to cost the same IME, and do come a lot faster (same day in my area). Just look in Yellow Pages.

The wasps don't return to a nest

Snap. Our council's wasp man told us that they don't return to a nest.

Does that mean it's not worth phoning them? trouble is we dont have boards on our loft floor so not sure they'd be willing to walki over that insulating stuff.

The wasps will at some point disperse by themselves (ie fly away and die). Only the queen survives by hibernating somewhere (in a tree or maybe indoors?). She will start a new nest next year - maybe near you or not. But an old nest is never used again. Whether you get rid of it or not depends on how much the wasps are bothering you, however be aware that one day they will fly off as a swarm.