Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Cockersdale? Here's What to Do
With children and pets at home, a loft nest calls for a few simple precautions: keep clear of the hatch, watch the garden and book a treatment.
Keep it simple and keep everyone away
If you have a wasp nest in the loft and children or pets at home, the most useful thing you can do is keep them away from the hatch and the roofline, and book a treatment. A calm explanation to children, and a few practical changes to the day, are usually enough until the technician arrives.
Children are curious, and a nest is exactly the kind of thing they want to see. Pets, especially dogs and cats, may paw at a wasp or follow a buzzing sound. Both are common ways stings happen, so a little planning helps.
The nest does not need to be dealt with immediately that second, but waiting for weeks is not sensible, since the colony grows through the summer.
A quick look at the garden is also worthwhile. Wasps are most likely to bother children around food, so picnics, barbecues and ice lollies are where most stings happen. Move eating indoors for a few days, or at least well away from the roofline and the flight path to the nest.
Talking to children
Keep the message short and calm. Explain that wasps have made a home in the loft, that a professional is coming to deal with it, and that nobody goes near the hatch or the landing meanwhile. Give them a reason that makes sense, such as the wasps get cross if they feel their home is in danger.
Teach them what to do if a wasp comes near: stand still or walk away slowly, do not wave their arms or run, and tell an adult. Shouting and swatting make wasps more agitated.
Keep sweet drinks and ice lollies indoors if wasps are around, and check cups and cans before sipping.
Older children can help by acting as lookouts: they can tell you if they see a wasp indoors, without trying to deal with it. Make sure they know to call you rather than swat. For small children, supervision is simplest, and shoes outdoors are a sensible habit while the nest is active.
If a child is stung, stay calm yourself, as they will take their cue from you. Wash the sting, apply a cold pack and offer a cuddle and a drink.
Looking after pets
Cats and dogs will often go for a wasp, and stings to the mouth and face are common. Try these measures.
- Keep pets out of the room under the loft and away from the landing.
- Walk dogs on a lead near the roofline until the nest is treated.
- Keep pet food bowls indoors, since they draw wasps in.
- Close the cat flap if wasps are using the same part of the house.
- If a pet is stung and swells up or has trouble breathing, phone a vet straight away.
We treat wasps only, and cannot advise on animal health. Your vet is the right person for that.
Keep an eye on small animals such as rabbits or guinea pigs in outdoor hutches, which should not be placed under the roofline. Fish ponds and bird tables attract wasps too, so consider moving a bird table away from the house for a few days.
What to avoid
Some well-meaning actions make a bad situation worse.
Do not go up to look, even with a torch. Do not use an aerosol in the loft or at the entrance. Do not block the hole the wasps are using, as that can send them into the house. Do not swat wasps indoors; open a window and let them leave.
Avoid using the room beneath the loft for sleeping if wasps are coming through the ceiling. Move the children to another room for a few nights if needed.
If someone is stung, wash the area, remove the sting if visible and apply a cold pack. Dial 999 without delay for swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or trouble breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. If anyone in the household is allergic, tell us when you book.
The treatment visit
Treating a wasp nest costs a fixed £90, confirmed on the phone before the technician arrives. No call-out charge applies, and nothing is done until you have agreed. Should there be another nest at the same property, it is £35. The technicians are trained, the work is fully insured and we serve homes and commercial buildings.
Plan the visit so that children and pets are in a closed room well away from the loft, with the door shut. Tell the technician where the hatch is and where wasps have been seen entering. The visit is usually straightforward for a trained person.
You can ask when booking if the empty nest can be taken down.
If the family is away or at school during the day, say so when you book. The technician only needs someone present to give access and to agree the work, and the rest of the household can be elsewhere.
Afterwards
Dead wasps may appear around the hatch for a day or so. Pick them up with a brush and pan or a vacuum, and keep children and pets from touching them, since they can still sting for a while. Do not let children play with the old nest.
To arrange a visit to Cockersdale, phone 0113 347 0014 or use the online form on the contact page. We work seven days a week and can often visit the same day.
Once the technician has confirmed the nest is dealt with, you can relax the rules, but keep the loft hatch closed until you have been told it is fine, and let children know the landing is back to normal only when you say so.
Wasps on your property in Cockersdale?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.