Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Thorpe on the Hill? Here's What to Do
Asking a neighbour or relative to deal with the nest feels thrifty and neighbourly. In a loft, it is how many avoidable stings happen.
The mistake: handing the job to whoever is willing
It is natural to ask around when wasps appear in the roof space. A neighbour who is good with a ladder, a brother-in-law who has done a bit of DIY, a handyman already doing other jobs at the house. Each of them is well meaning, and each is likely to be stung.
A loft nest is hard to deal with because of where it is. The space is cramped, the light is poor, the footing is uncertain and the exits are limited. Someone who is startled by a swarm cannot easily back away. A person without training does not know how a particular nest is likely to behave, and has no reliable means of dealing with it from a safe position.
People in Thorpe on the Hill who are tempted to ask for help from someone nearby are better to put the same effort into making a booking. It costs less in the long run than a trip to a doctor, a damaged ceiling or a disturbed colony loose in the house.
There is a kind word to say to a helpful friend here: thank you, but no. Offering to deal with the nest is a generous gesture, and turning it down is not rude. Putting the job in professional hands is a way of protecting them as well as you.
Checklist: what you can usefully ask friends to do
There are good ways to accept help, none of which involve going near the nest.
- Ask them to keep children and pets at their own house while the nest is being dealt with.
- Ask them to help clear the landing so the technician has a clean route to the hatch.
- Ask them to be on the phone, or to look after a vulnerable relative who is allergic to stings.
- Ask them to watch the outside of the roofline from a distance and note which gap the wasps use.
- Ask them to wait with you for the technician, so you are not alone if there are any questions.
That kind of support is genuinely useful. What is not useful is anyone stepping into the loft or climbing a ladder to the eaves.
What goes wrong when it is attempted without training
A few predictable things happen. Someone opens the hatch to look and finds the nest closer than expected. They disturb it, and wasps pour out into the loft and down into the house. They leave the hatch open in their hurry, and now there are wasps in the bedrooms.
Another version involves a ladder against the outside wall. The person climbs to the eaves, the wasps at the entrance take exception and the person has to descend with an angry swarm behind them, on a ladder.
A third involves blocking the hole. The wasps find another route, often into the house. None of these needs any particular misfortune. They are simply what tends to happen when an untrained person meets a nest of thousands of insects defending their home. Late in the season, the nest can hold 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps, so the consequences scale quickly.
What a trained technician brings
Our technicians are trained and the work is fully insured. They are used to working in confined roof spaces, they know how to approach a nest, and they can tell what they are dealing with the moment they see it. They have the right equipment, and they deal with the nest without anyone else in the house having to take part.
You can ask them anything when they come. If you are curious whether the empty nest can be taken down afterwards, ask when you book. If you want to know how the visit will go, they will explain it. They do not need you to be in the loft at all, and they will ask that the household stays clear while they work.
This is also the safest option for neighbours, since a disturbed nest can send wasps beyond your property.
A realistic picture of how it goes with proper help
Imagine the situation a week from now. You have phoned, the price has been confirmed, and the technician arrives at a time you have agreed. The landing is clear, the children are at a relative's house and the dog is in the garden. The technician walks round the outside, looks at where the wasps are going and heads up. You wait downstairs with a cup of tea.
There is no drama. The technician comes down, explains what has been done and tells you what to expect over the following days. You may see a few wasps near the old entrance, and a few dead ones inside. You brush those up, put the bin lid on and carry on.
That is a far more pleasant outcome than a weekend spent on a ladder with a borrowed pair of gloves. It is also quicker, and it removes the need for anyone to take a risk on your behalf. If you are concerned about the cost, remember that treatment is a fixed price, confirmed before anyone comes, and that an additional nest is £35.
Booking and afterwards
To arrange a visit, phone 0113 347 0014 or fill in the form on the contact page. The price is confirmed on the phone before the technician arrives and no work is done until you agree. It is a fixed £90 per nest, with no call-out charge, and £35 for an additional nest on the same property. We work seven days a week, with same-day service, on both domestic and commercial premises, and we cover Thorpe on the Hill and nearby villages.
Once the nest has been treated, keep the hatch shut for a while, brush up any dead wasps with gloves and bin them. If anyone is stung, wash the area, remove the sting if visible and use a cold pack, and call 999 for swelling of the face, lips or throat, breathing difficulty, dizziness or a widespread rash.
Wasps on your property in Thorpe on the Hill?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.