Why Are Wasps Flying Into Your Drighlington Home? Common Causes and Solutions
Wasps use small gaps that most householders never notice. This guide explains where to look from the ground, what the gaps mean and why not to seal them yourself.
Wasps need only a small gap
A wasp does not need an open window to get into a house. A gap of a few millimetres under the roof edge, behind a fascia board, at a loose air brick or around a pipe is enough for workers to come and go, and a colony that moves in through a small gap can build a surprisingly large nest behind it.
This is often how householders first meet the problem. They see a few wasps flying into the house, check the kitchen and find nothing to blame, and eventually realise the insects are not coming in from outside at all. They are coming through the building, from a nest in a cavity, roof void or eaves.
The answer to the title question here is simple: if wasps are entering the house when there is no food and no open door, look at the structure of the building. This article explains how to do that safely from the ground and what to do with what you find.
Older outbuildings, lean-to roofs and garden sheds are just as likely as the main house to hold a nest, and workers heading from them to the house can cause confusion about where the real source is.
A safe ground-level inspection
Pick a dry, warm, sunny day, when wasps are most active and easiest to follow. Walk around the house slowly and look up, keeping at least several metres from anywhere that wasps are visibly entering. Binoculars are helpful. You are looking at:
- The line where the roof meets the wall, including soffits and fascias.
- Gaps between tiles, ridge ends and verges.
- Air bricks and vents in outer walls.
- Gaps around pipes, flues and extractor outlets.
- Loose or damaged pointing, cracked render and open joints.
- Dormer windows, bay roofs and porches with flat roof edges.
- Sheds, garages and outbuildings that share a wall or roof with the house.
Look for wasps arriving and disappearing, or hovering briefly at a gap before entering. Often there is a faint stain or dirty mark at the entrance, caused by many insects passing in and out. Note the position and, if you can, take a photograph with the zoom lens from a safe distance. Never use a ladder to get a better view of a live entrance.
If you can reach a clear view from an upstairs window of a neighbouring roof edge, that is another good vantage point, as it lets you watch without leaving the house at all.
Why you should not seal the gap yourself
It seems logical to block the hole with filler, tape or a cloth, and many people try it. It is one of the worst things you can do while the nest is active.
- The workers returning to the nest are trapped outside and become agitated.
- The wasps inside will search for another way out, and that way may lead into a bedroom, bathroom or through a light fitting.
- You must go close to the entrance to do it, and that is how people get stung.
- A blocked entrance does not remove the nest. It simply moves the problem.
The same goes for tapping on walls, drilling holes to see inside, or using home remedies. Leave everything as it is. Close the interior doors nearest to the entrance, keep children and pets away from that side of the house and keep windows shut on that side if you can.
Once the nest has been treated by a technician, gaps can be repaired. Ask the technician at booking whether the empty nest can be taken down, and discuss what to do about repairs with a builder.
Keeping track of what you see
While you wait for a visit, small observations are very helpful.
- Note which rooms the wasps appear in, and at what times.
- Mark on a rough sketch of the house where the entrance seems to be.
- Record whether numbers seem to be increasing from day to day.
- Take care of anything that could attract wasps indoors, such as sweet drinks or open bins.
Wasps start building nests from late April depending on the weather, and the colony grows through the summer to peak in August, with a nest holding anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps. Even if the entrance looks small, what is behind it may not be.
If someone is stung, wash the area, remove the sting if visible and apply a cold pack. Call 999 for swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash.
A phone video of thirty seconds, filmed from a distance, can show the flight line far better than a still photograph, and it gives the technician something to refer to when they arrive.
Getting a technician to the nest
Our fixed price is £90 per nest and £35 for any additional nest on the same property. There is no call-out charge. We confirm the price on the phone before a technician comes out, and no work starts until you have agreed. We are open seven days a week and offer same-day service, for domestic and commercial customers, covering Drighlington and the surrounding area. Expect a trained technician, and note that the work is fully insured.
When you phone 0113 347 0014, or use the online form on the contact page, tell us where the entrance is, how high it is and whether it is reached from your property or a neighbour's. If anyone at home is allergic to wasp stings, tell us at booking so that we can take it into account.
Wasps on your property in Drighlington?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.