When Is Wasp Season in Blenheim?
For anyone eating outdoors, the wasp calendar is really a picnic calendar. Here is when wasps start to interfere, when they are worst and what to do about a nest.
The barbecue that ended early
A small group has gathered for a barbecue on a warm afternoon. The food is on the table, someone has opened a bottle of cola, and within minutes there are wasps on the burgers, around the cups and on the edge of the pudding bowl. People start to stand up. Somebody swats, and a sting follows. The meal is abandoned.
This sort of scene is common from midsummer onwards, and the timing is not an accident. Wasps follow a yearly pattern, and outdoor eating is the activity that most obviously collides with it. If you are planning picnics, birthday gatherings or garden meals in Blenheim, in the Leeds area, it helps to know when the risk is low and when it climbs.
The pattern is simple enough to remember: quiet in spring, noticeable in July, worst in August and early September, then easing off.
Spring and early summer: a quiet window
From late April, queens begin nests, but the colonies are small. In May and June there are few workers flying, and wasps are rarely a problem for outdoor eating. This is the best stretch of the year for garden meals, and many people enjoy it without thinking about wasps at all.
It is also the easiest time to be careful. If you notice a wasp returning to a gap in the eaves or the shed, or a hole in the ground near the lawn where you plan to set up the table, note it now. A small nest is far easier to resolve than one that has had three months to grow.
If you are planning a larger gathering, such as a christening or a birthday party, in late spring, it is also sensible to choose where guests will sit with some care, because the position of a nest started in April will not change by the summer.
July and August: the table becomes a target
As the colony expands, the number of wasps in the air rises. By August, when the nest is at its peak and can hold 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps, any food left out uncovered will draw attention. Late in the summer, the wasps become especially interested in sweet things, so fizzy drinks, juice, ice cream, jam and desserts bring them in quickest.
Meat from the barbecue also draws them, so you may see wasps on raw as well as cooked food. Treat the whole meal as something to keep covered between servings.
- Serve drinks in cups with lids or use a straw.
- Keep serving dishes covered until people are ready to eat.
- Place a bin with a tight lid some distance from the table.
- Clear plates and wipe sticky spots as you go.
Plates left on the grass, half-empty cans on a wall and sticky cups on a bench are the things wasps find first. A tidy table is the simplest form of wasp defence.
Choosing where and when to eat
The location of the picnic matters as much as the food. Try to avoid setting up directly beside hedges, bushes, old walls, holes in the ground or anything that looks like an entrance. If wasps are flying in a line towards one part of the garden, move your table well away from it.
If wasps do land on you, stay calm and still. Waving your arms or swatting is more likely to provoke a sting than leaving them be. Do not go looking for the nest to see how big it is. Wasps can swarm and sting if they feel threatened.
Children are most at risk because they grab drinks and cannot always tell what is inside a can. Check cups before they drink, particularly from bottles and cans.
Walking trips and picnics away from home follow the same rules. Take sealed containers rather than open packets, choose a spot away from bins, and be ready to move if wasps begin to gather around you.
A rug in the open, away from trees and walls, is often a better spot than a shady corner by a hedge.
Autumn and the end of the picnic season
As the weather cools and the colony declines, outdoor wasp trouble eases. By October most people can eat outside again without incident. That said, a nest that is still active will cause problems until the colony dies down, and the stragglers are often the ones most attracted to sugary food.
If a nest keeps interfering with your garden meals through September, it is worth getting it dealt with rather than putting up with another few weeks of disruption.
If you are still seeing wasps at a table in October, treat that as a sign that a nest is still active nearby, not a last stray.
Getting the nest treated
Wasp Exterminator Leeds treats nests at a fixed £90 each, with an additional nest on the same property costing £35. There is no call-out charge, we work 7 days a week, and we offer same-day service for domestic and commercial customers. Technicians are trained, and the work is fully insured.
To book, ring 0113 347 0014 or use the form on the contact page. We confirm the price on the phone before visiting, and nothing is done without your agreement. If somebody in your household is allergic to wasp stings, let us know when you book. Afterwards, the technician can tell you whether the empty nest can be removed, so put that question at booking.
After a sting, wash the skin, remove the sting if it is visible and use a cold pack. Call 999 for swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheeze or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash.
Wasps on your property in Blenheim?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.