Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Carlton (LS19)? Here's What to Do
Reaching for an aerosol at the hatch is the usual first reaction to wasps overhead, and it is the one most likely to send them into your rooms.
The usual mistake: a can of insect killer at the hatch
When wasps start appearing in a landing or bedroom, the instinct is to buy a can from the shop, open the loft hatch a crack and give it a good blast. It looks decisive, and it is almost always the wrong move. The nest sits somewhere out of reach in the roof space, often well away from the hatch, so very little of what you release gets anywhere near it. What it does reach is the wasps flying near you.
Those wasps are now agitated, the hatch is open, and you are standing underneath it. Wasps that have been disturbed at a nest will defend it, and a loft full of alarmed wasps with an open route into the house is a worse situation than the one you started with.
If you are in Carlton (LS19) and have already tried this, do not try again. Close the hatch, leave the room, and use the checklist below to steady things until a technician can come.
Checklist for the first hour
If you have already tried the can, this is still the order to work in.
- Move yourself, children and pets out of the room under the hatch and shut the door.
- Close the hatch fully if it is open and it is safe to do so without reaching up into the loft space.
- Open a window in the affected room only if wasps are inside and you can leave through a different door. Wasps indoors will often head for the glass and then out.
- Put a towel along the bottom of the door to the room so nothing wanders onto the landing.
- Wash and cool any sting. Remove the sting if you can see it, wash the area, and hold a cold pack against it.
- Note how many wasps you saw, and whether they were coming through the hatch edge, a light fitting or a crack in the ceiling.
Do not stay in the room to watch, and do not try to swat wasps near the hatch.
Signs the nest is in your loft rather than outside
Not every wasp indoors means a loft nest. A single wasp that drifted in through a window is normal in summer. A nest tends to give itself away in a few specific ways.
- Several wasps appear in the same room on the same day, repeatedly.
- You hear a faint rustling or rasping from above, particularly on warm days.
- There are small piles of wood-coloured shavings or a stain developing on the ceiling.
- You can see a steady stream of wasps entering a gap in the brickwork, soffit or tiles outside.
- The wasps in the house seem slow and drawn to the window rather than the kitchen, which hints that they have strayed from a nest above rather than followed food in.
If you can tick two or more, assume a nest is present. Wasps start building from late April depending on the spring, and by August a colony can number in the thousands, so the earlier you act, the fewer wasps you are dealing with.
What the technician does, in general terms
When you call, we confirm the fixed price on the phone first, and no work starts until you have agreed. The visit is carried out by a trained technician and the work is fully insured. They will locate the nest, treat it, and talk you through what to expect afterwards.
You do not need to prepare the loft. The one thing worth doing beforehand is to make sure the way to the hatch is clear of boxes and furniture on the landing, so the technician can get to it without having to move things. Keep the household out of the way while they work.
The charge is £90 per nest, there is no call-out charge, and an additional nest on the same property costs £35. If you would like the empty nest taken down afterwards, ask whether that is possible when you book.
Living with it until the visit
The wait between deciding to act and the technician arriving is when people tend to improvise, so it helps to have a plan. Decide which rooms stay in use and which stay shut, and tell everyone in the house, including children and any lodger or visitor, so no one wanders into the affected room by accident.
Keep food and sweet drinks covered in the kitchen, and put the bins lid-down, since wasps that have reached the living space will investigate anything sugary. Hang wet washing somewhere other than the room under the hatch, because damp clothes drying in a warm room invite exploring insects.
If you run a business from the premises, for example an office or a shop with a loft above, put a sign on the door to the stairs or storeroom and let staff know why. A short, calm note is enough. Customers and colleagues do not need to be alarmed, but they do need to stay out of the area.
Finally, resist the urge to check on the situation every ten minutes. Each trip to the landing is another chance of meeting a disturbed wasp.
After the visit, and how to book
Expect a few dead wasps near the hatch and on the windowsills of the room below. Wear gloves, sweep them into a bag and put them in the bin. Check carpets and curtains too, because a wasp that crawled behind a curtain can still sting if it is pressed.
Some activity near the old entrance for a short while is normal as wasps that were out foraging return. Keep the hatch shut and give it a little time.
Mention at the point of booking if anyone at home is allergic to stings. If anyone is stung and develops swelling of the face, lips or throat, difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash, call 999.
To arrange a visit, phone 0113 347 0014 or fill in the booking form on the contact page. We cover homes and businesses across the area, seven days a week, and offer same-day service.
Wasps on your property in Carlton (LS19)?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.