Why Are Wasps Flying Into Your Potternewton Home? Common Causes and Solutions
When the nest is not on your property at all, the wasps in your house can seem baffling; this guide covers neighbouring nests and how to raise them.
The nest you cannot see
You have been through the usual checks. The kitchen is tidy, the bins have lids, the windows have mesh, and still the wasps come in. You walk round the outside of your own house and find no hole, no nest and no flight line. Yet every afternoon, the same few wasps appear, and they seem to be heading from the same direction.
There is a good chance the nest is not on your property. Wasps forage over a wide area, and a colony in a neighbour's roof, shed, hedge or garden can send workers through your open windows without you ever seeing the entrance.
This situation comes up in Potternewton and anywhere where gardens and buildings sit close together. It is awkward, because you can see the effects of the nest but cannot reach the cause, and the best route forward is a friendly conversation.
Wasp colonies are founded from late April depending on the weather, and by August a nest can hold 2,000 to 10,000 wasps or more. A nest that was easy to ignore in May can send a steady stream of workers over several gardens by high summer, which is why the traffic in your house tends to build as the months go by.
Clues that it is next door
Look at where the traffic seems to arrive from. If you stand in the garden, are the wasps flying over a fence or a hedge, in one direction, and returning the same way? Is the buzzing louder on one side of the house than the other?
Other signs include:
- wasps appearing at the windows on the side facing the boundary
- wasps travelling at roof height over the ridge from the neighbouring side
- a flight path that crosses your garden but does not stop
- activity that grows through the summer without any change in your own habits
Be careful with how far you look. Leaning over a fence or climbing something to peer into a neighbour's garden is risky, as you may be closer to the nest than you think. A view from your own window, at a distance, is enough.
Shared walls and boundaries
Where two buildings are joined, or a wall, outbuilding or garage sits on a boundary, a nest on one side can reach through to the other. Wasps use gaps in brickwork, soffits and eaves that run along the shared line, and a small gap can lead to a cavity that serves both properties.
If wasps appear in your house on the party-wall side, from sockets, skirting boards, ceilings or lofts, tell the neighbour at once. The nest may be on their side, on yours, or in the shared structure. Nobody can say until it has been looked at, so do not assume.
Do not try to open up the wall or ceiling to look. Keep doors closed on that side of the house and stay out of the room if the buzzing is loud.
Talking to the neighbour
Most people respond well to a polite, factual approach. Explain what you have seen, where and when, and offer to share the details of how to book a treatment. Avoid blame. The neighbour may not know about the nest at all, particularly if it is in a roof void, a shed or the far end of the garden.
If the property is rented, the tenant may need to speak to the landlord or managing agent first. Who arranges and pays for the work depends on the tenancy agreement, so it is best to check the document before making promises either way.
Sometimes a neighbour is away or cannot be contacted. In that case, leave a short note, and keep your own property as wasp-proof as you can in the meantime. Nobody should enter someone else's property to look for a nest.
If the neighbour agrees, it helps for them to tell us where the wasps go in and out on their side, how high it is, and whether there is any difficulty in reaching it, such as a locked side gate. Having those details ready on the phone makes it much easier to arrange a visit quickly.
Protecting your home meanwhile
While you wait for the nest to be dealt with, reduce the number of wasps that reach your rooms.
- Fit mesh to windows facing the boundary and keep them shut when you can.
- Keep food, drinks and bins away from doors on that side.
- Pick up windfalls and cover compost.
- Keep children and pets away from the boundary fence and hedge.
- Make a note of the dates, so you can show how long it has been going on.
Wasps from a nest that is nearby are not a sign that your home is unclean. They are simply foraging, and a house in their range will see some of them. Once the nest has been treated, the cause of the visits has been dealt with and you can relax the precautions.
Booking a treatment
Wasp nest treatment is a fixed £90 per nest, and £35 for an additional nest on the same property. There is no call-out charge, we are open seven days a week, and we offer same-day service. The price is confirmed over the phone before the technician visits, and no work is carried out unless you agree.
Ring 0113 347 0014, or use the online form on the contact page. Say if the nest is on your property, a neighbour's, or you are not sure, and whether anyone is allergic to wasp stings. We will talk through the next step with you. Our technicians are trained and fully insured, and cover homes and commercial premises. Ask at booking whether the empty nest can be taken down.
Wasps on your property in Potternewton?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.