Wasps Around Your Guttering and Fascias? How to Find the Nest in Sheffield
Stopping at the first entrance is the mistake; a property can hold more than one nest. Here is how to survey the whole roofline from the ground and describe each gap.
Stopping at the first hole
Having found one entrance, people understandably relax. The wasps are accounted for, the hole is identified, the job feels half done. But a roofline can hold more than one nest, and it is easy to miss the second while looking at the first.
A second nest may be on another elevation, in a different cavity entirely, or in a separate part of the property such as a shed or outbuilding. Treating one and missing the other means wasps carry on, and you will believe the treatment did not work.
In Sheffield, a South Yorkshire city, as anywhere, the way to avoid this is simple: survey the whole property before you book, and tell us what you found.
It is also worth remembering that nests do not appear all at once. A property may have an early nest that went unnoticed and a later one started by a different queen, which is why a second entrance can seem to appear weeks after the first. Check regularly through the summer.
Surveying the whole roofline
Go round the building methodically, on a warm, dry day, from at least a few metres back.
- Start with the known entrance. Note its position and how busy it is.
- Walk to the far end of the same elevation and watch for any other point where wasps vanish.
- Repeat on every other side of the house, then outbuildings and garages.
- Compare counts. A busy entrance and a quiet one in separate places could mean a main entrance and a minor gap, or two nests.
- Take your photos from the same distance, so you can compare them afterwards.
Entrances that sit close together may well belong to one nest, while entrances far apart deserve a closer look. The technician will make the final call on site.
Remember to include outbuildings and any structure with a roof. A garden shed, a summerhouse or a carport has a fascia or eave of its own, and wasps are quite content with a modest cavity in a quiet corner.
If you find nothing at the other elevations, that is good news. Note it down anyway, so you can say with confidence that the first entrance is the only one you found.
How the technician sorts out the rest
You do not need to be certain. Give your best description and the technician will confirm when on site. They will look at the entrances you describe, judge how the cavities connect and say if a second nest is likely.
Having an idea of the number in advance is nonetheless useful, because it lets us explain the price on the phone before the visit. If you suspect two nests, say so and we will explain how that is charged.
If a second nest turns up only on the day, that is no problem either, but a heads-up is welcome.
- Where each entrance is and roughly how far apart they are.
- Which elevations you checked and found quiet.
- How busy each entrance looked, on a scale such as a few, a dozen or a stream.
- What lies beneath each: a path, a window, a flat roof or a bin store.
The technician may also ask about the loft or any other internal space near the entrance. Do not go and look; just say if you have heard noises from that direction.
Price and booking
Phone 0113 347 0014, or complete the form on the contact page, to arrange a visit. Treatment of a wasp nest is £90 fixed, and an additional nest on the same property is £35, with no call-out charge. We confirm this by phone before the technician visits, and nothing is done without your agreement.
Seven-day opening and same-day service are available, for homes and commercial premises, and the technicians are trained and fully insured.
Tell us of any wasp-sting allergy in the household while booking, and ask whether the empty nest can be taken down after the treatment.
If you decide after reading this that two nests is likely, the second visit is not a separate booking: the technician deals with both during the one trip, which is why we ask for as full a description as you can manage.
Please keep your estimate honest rather than hopeful. It is far better to say you are not sure than to guess low.
Keeping safe with a busy roofline
More than one entrance means more traffic, so stay well clear. Keep children and pets indoors or on the far side of the house, and keep windows near the entrances shut.
After a sting, wash the area, remove the sting if visible and apply a cold pack. If there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, dizziness or a rash spreading over the body, call 999. People with known allergies should talk to their GP.
If the entrances are on the side where you hang washing or sit out, move everything to the opposite side of the house for now. A small change in routine removes the most likely opportunity for a sting.
Checking afterwards and sealing up
In the days after the visit, watch every entrance on your list. If one is still busy, tell us. Once all are quiet, arrange for a builder or joiner to repair the boards and close every gap, not only the first one you noticed.
If you rent, read the tenancy agreement for repair responsibilities and keep your landlord informed. In spring, repeat the survey; the notes you made this year will show exactly where to look.
Keep your survey notes with the booking confirmation. If wasps appear again in a later year, the earlier notes show whether it is the same place or a new one.
Wasps on your property in Sheffield?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.