Wasps Around Your Guttering and Fascias? How to Find the Nest in Gildersome
While you wait for a nest to be treated, a few simple habits keep children, pets and visitors out of harm’s way and stop the wasps being provoked.
Make the garden safe, not just the roof
Even once you have located a nest at the roof edge and booked treatment, there may be a gap before the technician arrives. In that time the family, visitors and pets still use the house and garden. A handful of sensible changes lowers the chance of a sting without needing you to go near the nest.
The aim is to keep people away from the wasps’ flight path and to avoid giving them reasons to linger. Wasps defend a nest if they feel threatened, and they are also drawn by food and sweet drinks. Dealing with both is straightforward.
This guide is meant for ordinary households in Gildersome and elsewhere, and none of it needs equipment beyond a few minutes of planning.
Working out the danger zone
Stand back and watch the traffic to see where the wasps travel. The area directly under the entrance and the line between the entrance and the nearest garden are the busiest. Treat those as a no-go zone until the technician has dealt with the nest.
- Move paddling pools, climbing frames and toys away from the affected wall.
- Keep the washing line out of that area, since wet laundry can trap wasps.
- Do not sit outdoors beneath the entrance, and avoid barbecues on that side of the house.
- Tell neighbours who share a fence or path with you, so they can take sensible care.
If the entrance is above the front or back door, use another door where possible, and move quietly and steadily when you do go past.
Children: simple rules that work
Explain the situation calmly and clearly. Children respond best to a short, factual rule such as: the wasps live in the roof by that wall, so we play on the other side of the garden until the wasp man has been. Fear is not necessary and tends to lead to flapping and running, which attracts attention from wasps.
Teach them what to do if a wasp comes near: stay still or walk away slowly, and do not swat, shout or wave their arms. Check that older children do not throw things at the roof edge or poke at the gap out of curiosity, and that no one tries to knock the nest down.
Keep sweet drinks, ice lollies and fruit indoors while the nest is active. Wipe sticky hands and faces before going out, and use cups with lids or straws for any drinks outside.
Pets and wasps
Dogs and cats are curious and may snap at wasps or investigate the wall. Keep them away from the area, and bring them in if there is a lot of wasp traffic. Do not leave pet food bowls outside, since moist food attracts wasps in the same way as ours. If your pet is stung, particularly around the face or mouth, or seems unwell, contact your vet.
Small animals kept in outdoor hutches or aviaries near the affected wall may be best moved a good distance away on a calm day, if that can be done without going near the entrance. If it cannot, leave them be rather than risk disturbing the wasps.
Keeping wasps away from the house itself
Some wasps will stray from the roof edge into rooms, so a few household habits help. Keep windows on the affected side closed, particularly in the afternoon, or fit fine mesh to opening windows. Close doors promptly behind you and avoid leaving the back door propped open on a warm day.
Clear food and drink as soon as meals are finished, put lids on bins, rinse cans and bottles before recycling and empty any outdoor pet bowls. If a wasp does get indoors, stay calm, open a window in the room and let it find its own way out. Swatting one wasp can attract others in a small space, and a squashed insect is no safer than a live one.
Never try to hose, sweep or poke at the nest. All of those make the wasps more defensive, and none of them are a sound way to deal with a colony you cannot see.
Visitors, deliveries and neighbours
It is easy to forget that other people arrive at your door. If the entrance sits above the front door or the path, ask the postal worker or delivery driver to leave parcels elsewhere, and put a clear note on the door. Tell friends and relatives about the nest before they visit, particularly if they have small children or allergies.
If the roof edge you are worried about is shared with a neighbour, a quick word is a courtesy and can save an awkward surprise. They may also have noticed wasps and be keen to have the problem sorted.
If someone is stung, and booking
Move away from the area first. Wash the sting with soap and water, remove the sting if you can see it, and apply a cold pack. Call 999 if there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. Anyone with a known allergy to stings should speak to their GP, and should tell us when booking so we can take it into account.
Wasp Exterminator Leeds treats a nest for a fixed £90, with an additional nest on the same property at £35 and no call-out charge. The price is settled on the phone ahead of the visit, and the technician carries out nothing you have not agreed to. We cover Gildersome and the surrounding area, work seven days a week, and offer same-day service for homes and commercial premises. Phone us on 0113 347 0014 or fill in the booking form on the contact page.
Ask the technician at booking whether the empty nest can be taken down, and have the entry gap in the roof edge repaired afterwards.
Wasps on your property in Gildersome?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.