Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Austhorpe? Here's What to Do
If wasps keep turning up in an upstairs room, especially around the ceiling light, a nest in the loft above is the most likely source and should be treated by a professional.
Wasps indoors on the top floor usually come from above
A few wasps drifting into a house on a summer day are not unusual, but wasps turning up repeatedly in the same upstairs room, particularly one that sits under the roof, point to a nest in the loft. The sensible move is to keep the loft hatch closed, stay out of the loft, and have a trained technician treat the nest.
A nest in a roof void sends workers out through a gap in the eaves, a loose tile or a hole near the soffit. Most fly straight outside. Occasionally one finds another way and ends up inside, through a gap around a pipe, a recessed ceiling light or the edge of the hatch frame. Because heat rises and wasps are attracted to light, they tend to gather on the glass of a window or the ceiling near a bulb.
If you see a single wasp every day or two, it may be a stray. If you see several in one afternoon, or find them gathering at the same window, treat it as a sign of a colony close by.
Where they are getting in
Finding the route helps the technician and tells you which rooms to avoid. Look without going near the loft itself.
- Check ceiling lights, especially older recessed fittings, for wasps buzzing around them or small insects lying on the lens.
- Look around the loft hatch from below for gaps at the frame, and listen for a hum when you stand beneath it.
- Watch the outside of the house from a safe distance on a sunny afternoon and note where wasps are entering, such as the eaves, a gable end or the roofline.
- Check the window sills of the nearest bedroom for dead or dying wasps, which often collect there.
Make a note of what you see, as it makes the phone call quicker. It is useful to say which room the wasps appear in and which side of the house the entry point is on.
Keeping the room usable until the visit
The aim is to give wasps no reason to head further into the house and to avoid doing anything that disturbs the colony.
Close the door of the affected room and put a rolled towel along the bottom to stop wasps wandering onto the landing. If you need to use the room, switch the ceiling light on only when necessary, since the light draws them in. Open a window briefly with the door closed, so any wasps indoors can leave on their own.
Do not use a fly killer or aerosol in the room. It will not reach the colony and will mostly irritate the wasps in the room. Avoid swatting them against walls, and do not fill gaps around the light fitting with sealant or tape, since that can drive wasps to a different gap.
If someone in the household is allergic to wasp stings, tell us when you phone, and keep that person away from the room until the nest has been treated. Anyone with a known allergy should also speak to their GP about their own plan.
The visit and what it costs
The price for a wasp nest treatment is a fixed £90, confirmed on the phone before the technician comes out. There is no call-out charge, and nothing happens until you have said yes. A second nest on the same property is £35.
On arrival, the technician will ask where you have seen the wasps, check how to reach the loft and carry out the treatment. Homes and commercial buildings are both covered, and the staff are trained and fully insured. If it would help to have the empty nest taken down, raise that when you book and the technician can say what is possible.
Wasp nests are most active from summer into early autumn, with the colony at its largest in August. A nest found in the loft in July can contain thousands of wasps by then, which is another reason not to leave it and see.
After the treatment
Expect to find a handful of dead wasps in the room that was affected, along the window sill and around the light fitting. Sweep or vacuum them up and bin them. If you use gloves it avoids any accidental stings from one that is not quite finished.
Once the nest has been treated, wait before you go up to tidy. Speak to the technician about whether anything needs removing and what to do with the paper nest, and do not disturb it before then.
To arrange a visit to Austhorpe, phone 0113 347 0014 or fill in the booking form on the contact page. We are open seven days a week and offer same-day service.
Warning signs, and what to have ready
Some households can live with an occasional wasp, but there are a few signs that the situation is moving beyond that. More than a handful of wasps in one day, wasps gathering in a bedroom where someone sleeps, or any sting indoors all suggest the nest is close and active.
If somebody is stung, wash the area with soap and water, remove the sting if it is visible, and hold a cold pack against it. Call 999 straight away if there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. People who know they are allergic should talk to their GP about what to keep to hand.
Meanwhile, resist the urge to climb into the loft to confirm your suspicions. A technician can usually work out what is going on from your description of where the wasps are travelling, and that is a much safer way to start.
When you call, it helps to have a few facts ready: which room has wasps in it, whether you have seen them entering the outside of the house, roughly when you first noticed them, and whether anyone in the home is allergic. You do not need to know how big the nest is or exactly where it sits. The price is the same fixed £90 either way, and you will hear it before anything is arranged.
Wasps on your property in Austhorpe?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.