Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Clifford? Here's What to Do
Assuming the insects in your loft are bees, or ignoring them as harmless flies, is a common slip. Identifying them correctly decides who you should call.
The mistake: guessing the insect and calling the wrong help
The most frequent error with a buzzing roof space is to name the insect without really looking. A few stripy insects get called wasps when they are bees, and a quiet scattering of flies in a window gets dismissed when it is actually the first sign of something larger. The wrong guess leads to the wrong call, and in the meantime the colony keeps growing.
We treat wasps. If your loft insects turn out to be honeybees or bumblebees, you need a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation, not us, and it would be wrong to treat bees as if they were pests. So the first job, before any booking, is a careful look from a safe distance.
Anyone in Clifford who hears activity in the roof should spend a few minutes confirming what is flying before they dial. It takes little time and saves a wasted visit or a mistaken treatment.
Checklist: wasp, bee or something else
Check from outside the house or from a window, never from inside the loft.
- Body shape: wasps are slim, with a narrow waist between thorax and abdomen and smooth, glossy yellow and black bands. Bees are rounder and look furry.
- Flight: wasps fly fast and direct and tend to hover near a gap. Bees often wander from flower to flower and are slower.
- Colour: bright, clean yellow and black suggests wasps. Dull orange-brown and fuzzy suggests honeybees or bumblebees.
- Entrance: wasps pour in and out of a small crack. A swarm hanging in a cluster is almost certainly bees.
- Sound: wasp nests are often described as a papery scratching with a hum. Bees give a steadier, lower hum.
If you cannot be sure, take a photograph from a distance and describe it when you phone. If it turns out to be bees, contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation rather than attempting any removal yourself.
Other insects that get mistaken for wasps
Several other insects can look similar at a glance, and a few get confused with wasps because they share the stripes. Hoverflies are harmless and often hover near windows. They have a single pair of wings and no sting. Hornets are bigger and are not something we treat, so if you suspect a hornet nest, you will need to ask for specialist advice elsewhere.
Flies that appear in the room below a loft are sometimes cluster flies, which gather in roof spaces in autumn and are harmless. A scattering of dead flies on the windowsill is not a sign of a wasp nest. A line of wasps entering a gap in the eaves most certainly is.
If you are still not sure after looking at the checklist, there is no harm in describing it on the phone. We will ask a couple of simple questions and tell you whether it sounds like wasps.
What to do once you are sure it is wasps
Once you have identified the insects as wasps, the response is the same whatever the size of the nest. Keep the loft hatch shut. Do not poke at the ceiling, and do not block the entrance. Keep children and pets away from the rooms where wasps are appearing.
Close windows in the affected room if wasps are drifting inside, and switch off the lights at night. If you have been stung, wash the area, remove the sting if you can see it, and use a cold pack. For swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash, call 999.
People with a known allergy should talk to their GP about their own plan. Tell us when you book if anyone in the household is allergic, and the technician will take it into account.
Do not try to deal with the nest yourself. A wasp nest is protected by a large number of wasps, and the loft is a difficult place to work.
Why a loft, and when
Lofts suit wasps because they are warm, dry and rarely disturbed. A queen emerges in spring and starts building from late April, depending on the weather and how mild the season has been. Over the summer the colony grows, peaking in August, when a nest can hold 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps.
Entry is usually through a gap in the eaves, a loose tile or a hole in the brickwork. You may never see the nest itself, but you can often see the entrance from outside. That is the best place to point us to when you book.
Because the entrance is often the only visible clue, a few minutes of watching from the garden is time well spent. Stand well back, pick a spell of dry weather, and note which gap the insects use. If they are using more than one, mention that too. Do not go closer to photograph it, and do not use a ladder.
Booking and clear-up
To book, phone 0113 347 0014, or use the booking form on the contact page. The price is confirmed over the phone before the technician visits, and no work is done until you agree. It is £90 for a nest, with no call-out charge, and £35 for an additional nest at the same property. Technicians are trained and the work is fully insured. We handle domestic and commercial properties, seven days a week, and offer same-day service.
Afterwards, clear any dead wasps with a brush and pan while wearing gloves. Keep the hatch closed until the technician says the loft is clear, and ask when you book whether the empty nest can be taken down.
If you are booking for a business, such as a shop, workshop or office with a roof space above, say so on the call. Commercial properties are treated on the same fixed price, and it helps us to know whether customers or staff will be near the area when the technician arrives.
Wasps on your property in Clifford?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.