Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Stourton? Here's What to Do
A wasp nest above a shop, office or unit affects staff and customers as well as the building. Here is a calm plan for keeping everyone safe until the nest is treated.
When customers notice before you do
A member of staff mentions that wasps keep appearing near the office door. Then a customer points at the ceiling tile over the counter, where a wasp is crawling along the edge. By the afternoon you can hear a hum from the space above.
Business owners often hear about a nest from other people. If your premises are in Stourton or nearby and this sounds familiar, you will want to act quickly but carefully, since the people most at risk are those who know nothing about it.
The same applies to any commercial premises, from a small office to a workshop or a shop. A roof space above ceiling tiles is easy to forget, because nobody goes up there from one year to the next. That quiet is exactly what the wasps like.
Protecting staff and visitors
Make it clear to everyone who works in the building where the problem is, and who should stay away. A short, calm message is better than a general alarm.
- Keep staff out of the space directly beneath the suspected nest.
- Do not let anyone go into the roof void or open ceiling hatches and tiles.
- Put a sign or barrier on the door of any affected room.
- Move any desk or till away from the area if you can do so calmly.
- Close doors to stop wasps drifting through the building.
Ask whether anybody on the team is allergic to wasp stings. If they are, they should stay away from the area and tell you straight away if wasps appear.
If the nest is above a public area, such as a reception or a waiting space, a polite notice saying that part of the building is temporarily closed is usually enough. There is no need to explain everything to visitors.
Do not try to deal with it in-house
A maintenance person with a ladder and a can of aerosol may feel like the quickest solution. It is not. Disturbing a nest in a confined roof void risks serious stings and can send wasps through ceiling gaps into the working area.
Do not block holes on the outside of the building either, and do not hang up fly strips or traps as a substitute for dealing with the nest. They catch a few wasps and leave the colony untouched.
If your premises are rented, check your lease or tenancy agreement for who arranges pest control, and speak to your landlord or managing agent. The arrangement depends on the terms, so we cannot advise on it.
Remember also that any contractor already working on site, such as a cleaner or an electrician, needs to be told before they go near the area. They may not know about the problem.
A workplace also has to think about people who come and go, such as deliveries and visitors, so a simple rule that nobody enters the affected corridor or room is easier to keep than a long list of instructions.
Booking for commercial premises
We treat domestic and commercial properties. Call 0113 347 0014, or use the online booking form on the contact page. We cover Stourton and the wider Leeds area, with same-day service available seven days a week.
The charge is a fixed £90 for the nest, with no call-out charge, and we confirm it on the phone before sending anyone. Another nest on the same site is £35. No work is done until you agree to it.
When you ring, tell us how the roof space is reached, whether a key or access code is needed and who will meet the technician.
If it helps, ask whoever is arranging the visit to write down the location of the hatch or tile and any alarms or locks along the way.
Please have a contact name and number for the day, so the technician can reach someone on site if the access turns out to be awkward.
If you need an invoice or a record for the building file, ask for it when you book and we will arrange it with you.
On the day
Our trained and fully insured technician will ask to be shown where the wasps have been seen and how to reach the loft or roof void. It helps if the person who meets them knows the building.
You may want to restrict access to the affected area while the work is carried out. Staff should follow the technician’s instructions and avoid the area until it is clear.
If you would like the empty nest taken down afterwards, ask when booking.
Our price is the same fixed price whatever type of building you manage, so there is nothing extra to budget for.
Getting back to normal
Once the technician has finished, staff can clear any dead wasps near the affected area. Use gloves, a brush and pan or a vacuum, and bag everything up. Wipe down any surfaces where wasps have been crawling.
Tell your team what has happened and reassure them. If someone has been stung, wash the area, remove the sting if visible and apply a cold pack. For swollen lips, face or throat, difficulty breathing, wheezing, dizziness or a widespread rash, call 999.
Keep a note of the date and location for your own records, and keep an eye on the area for the next few weeks.
If you share the building with other tenants, let them know what has happened so that they can check their own areas for wasps.
If the site has several floors or units, ask the technician whether neighbouring areas need checking.
Wasps on your property in Stourton?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.