Can You Remove a Wasp Nest Yourself? Advice for Swinnow Homeowners
The most common DIY mistake is climbing a ladder to deal with a nest under the eaves; here is a ground-level checklist and a straightforward way to get it treated.
The mistake: a ladder, a can and a free afternoon
The most common mistake with a wasp nest at roof height is also the most tempting one: fetching the ladder and a can from the shop, then trying to finish the job from the top rung. It feels like a quick task. In reality it puts you in the worst possible position, with one hand busy, your feet off the ground and your face level with the entrance to a nest that may hold thousands of wasps.
This guide is for Swinnow householders who have noticed wasps flying in and out of a gap near the roofline and want to know whether to deal with it themselves. The honest answer is that there are several useful things you can do safely, and removing the nest is not one of them. The checklist below starts with why the ladder is the part that most often goes wrong.
Why the ladder is the real danger
A wasp sting hurts, but at ground level it is rarely the worst thing that happens. At the top of a ladder the sting is only the trigger. The flinch that follows is what injures people: a jerk of the arm, a lurch backwards, a foot slipping off a rung. Add a ladder that is standing on soft lawn or a sloping path and a fall becomes quite possible.
There is also the problem of what you cannot see. Wasps leave a disturbed nest quickly and in numbers, and from a ladder you have no easy way to retreat. You cannot run, you cannot shut a door behind you, and you cannot check behind your shoulder. Anyone steadying the ladder from below is standing directly under the flight path.
Nests under the eaves, in soffit gaps or behind fascia boards are often set back inside the gap, so what you see is just the entrance. Reaching up to that hole tells you very little about the size of what is behind it, and a nest in the early part of the season can be far bigger by August than it looks in May.
Checklist: what to do from the ground instead
These steps cost nothing, carry very little risk and make any later phone call much easier.
- Stay on the ground and keep the ladder in the shed. If you need a better view, use a window on the other side of the glass rather than going closer.
- Watch the gap for a few minutes from well back. Note which wall it is, roughly how high up, and whether the wasps are moving steadily in and out.
- Keep children and pets away from that side of the house, and bring washing in from nearby lines.
- Close windows and doors close to the nest, including the loft hatch if there is any chance wasps could find a way inside.
- Do not block or cover the hole. Wasps that cannot get out the way they came in will look for another route, which can be into a room.
- Do not bang on the wall, throw anything or start a lawnmower or strimmer near the spot.
- Write down anything the technician will want to know, such as the height, whether it is a gable end or a side wall, and where a ladder could stand.
Why shop-bought products make a poor substitute
Aerosol cans sold for wasps are designed to be pointed at a visible nest from a distance. That is a very different situation from a hidden gap at first-floor level. A product that reaches only the entrance may leave most of the colony untouched, and the wasps that survive tend to be the ones that are most upset.
Using something in a confined cavity can also push wasps in the wrong direction. A disturbed colony may find its way through a gap in the wall into a loft or a bedroom, which turns an outdoor problem into an indoor one. Home remedies are no better, and some, such as anything involving fuel or flame so close to a building, add a fire risk on top of the stings.
If you have already had a go and the wasps now seem more active, that is a normal reaction from a disturbed nest. Step back, keep everyone away from that wall and treat it as a job for a trained technician from this point.
If you have to be near the house while it is active
Some households cannot simply avoid the side of the house with the nest: it may be next to the back door, the car port or the only path to the bins. In that case, plan your movements rather than hoping for the best. Use another door where you can, walk past calmly instead of running, and avoid swatting at wasps that approach, since sudden arm movements tend to make them more defensive.
If you work from home, think about which window is closest to the nest and keep it shut, even on warm days. If you are in a rented property, tell whoever manages the building as well as booking a visit; what the tenancy agreement says about who arranges and pays for pest work is worth checking, as that varies.
Whatever you do, resist the urge to make a quick attempt just because the wasps are in your way. A careful detour for a day is a smaller price than a fall.
What the call involves
When you are ready, ring 0113 347 0014 or fill in the booking form on the contact page. One nest is a fixed £90, and a further nest on the same property comes to £35. There is no call-out charge, we answer seven days a week and same-day service is offered.
Nobody visits until the price has been confirmed with you by phone, and nothing is done unless you say yes. The technicians are trained, and the work is fully insured, which is a large part of why the ladder is our job and not yours.
If anyone at home is allergic to wasp stings, let us know when booking so we can take it into account. Homes and commercial properties are both covered, and you can ask whether the empty nest can be taken down once it has been treated.
Wasps on your property in Swinnow?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.