Wasp Nest in a Cavity Wall – How Professionals Treat Hidden Nests in Wike
The house gets most of the attention, but garages, sheds with brick walls and garden boundary walls are just as attractive to a nesting queen.
The wall at the end of the garden
You go to the garage for the lawnmower and find wasps weaving in and out of a gap above the door frame. Or you are pruning a shrub against the boundary wall and hear a faint hum from within the brickwork. Neither is part of the house, so it is easy to put it off.
Wasps do not care about the label. A sheltered void is a sheltered void, whether it is the home or the garden building.
The same principle applies to a wall at the side of the property, a lean-to or a car port with brick sides. Anywhere with brick, a cavity and a gap is a candidate.
Some outbuildings are used only seasonally, such as a summer house, a pool store or a workshop that is quiet from October to April. A queen who finds a gap in spring has the building to herself.
Places other than the house
Any structure with a gap or cavity may hold a nest.
- Garage walls and the space above a garage door
- Brick-built sheds and workshops
- Boundary and garden walls with a hollow core or loose coping
- Porches, conservatory bases and extensions
These places are quiet and are not visited every day, so a nest can develop for weeks before anyone notices.
Garden walls are the ones most often overlooked. Old coping stones loosen, and the gap beneath leads to a hollow centre. Because the wall is not part of the home, nobody inspects it, and nests there can go unseen until a gardener disturbs it.
Single-skin garden walls do not have a cavity, but many double-skin ones do, and so do the walls of brick-built garages. If you are not sure what yours is made of, it does no harm to mention the type of wall when you ring.
Cars, bikes, wheelie bins and toys stored beside an outbuilding wall also tempt people to go close. Move what you can only if you can do it without stepping near the gap, and otherwise leave it until the technician has finished.
Why they matter
Outbuildings are often right beside paths, washing lines and play areas. A nest at head height by the garage door will be near cars, children and pets. Nobody expects trouble in a spot where they walk several times a day.
Another reason is that people open garage doors and slam them without thinking. Vibration from a door right next to a nest can provoke the colony. Leave the area alone until it is treated.
Tools and equipment kept in the garage can be a problem if the door is right beside the nest. Give yourself time to go without them until the nest is treated, rather than risk a sting for a spade.
Parked cars close to the entrance are worth moving, since wasps are drawn to warm surfaces, and the technician will need space to work. If a vehicle cannot be moved, tell us when you book.
A shared drive or access track is a further consideration. If neighbours use the same route, warn them to avoid the area.
What to do
Stay clear and keep other people away. Do not go into the garage for tools if the entrance is by the door. Make a note of where the wasps are going in, and ring.
The nest is treated through the entry point. We cover Wike and nearby areas, seven days a week with same-day service. The price is a fixed £90 per nest and £35 for an additional nest on the same property, confirmed on the phone with no call-out charge. Domestic and commercial customers are both covered, our technicians are trained and the work is fully insured.
If the wasps are going into a wall that belongs to a neighbour, tell them. The nest may be on their side, and they may need to agree to the visit before we can treat it. Ask them to ring us, or give us permission on your behalf.
The technician will treat the nest through the entrance the wasps are using. You do not need to empty the garage or take out tools, but please clear anything you can reach safely from near the wall.
Sealing and tidying afterwards
After activity stops, repair the gap. For a boundary wall, a loose coping stone or damaged pointing is often the cause. For a garage, check the seal around the door frame. Ask the technician whether the empty nest can be taken down.
If the wall is shared with a neighbour, speak to them, as the repair may involve both of you.
For a brick-built garage with a flat roof, check the edges where the roof meets the wall; these are favourite spots for gaps.
Think about how the wall will look afterwards. A neat repair now means the building is tidy and sound for the next time you sort out the garage, and a queen has less reason to look at it.
Sheds with timber cladding and a hollow frame are less common as cavity nests, but gaps behind the boards can serve the same purpose, so describe what you can see when you ring.
A seasonal habit
Include outbuildings in your spring walk-round from late April. A few minutes with binoculars around the garage and garden walls is enough. If you see a single wasp investigating a gap, repair it quickly if nobody is inside.
To book, ring 0113 347 0014 or use the contact form online.
Business premises with yards, storage units or boundary walls should include them in their spring checks as well. We cover commercial sites on the same terms.
If you manage several buildings, make a short list of the outbuildings and check each. Spending half an hour in April could prevent a summer of stings.
Wasps on your property in Wike?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.