Wasp Nest in Your Garden Shed? Safe Treatment Options in Wothersome
Stacked logs, pallets and timber beside an outbuilding are a favourite nesting site. This guide covers the mistake of restacking them, and a safe plan instead.
The mistake: restacking the woodpile to find the nest
When wasps appear around the side of a shed, the first thought is often that they must be coming from the log pile or the stack of pallets leaning against the wall. So out comes a pair of gloves, and the pile gets pulled apart piece by piece to find the culprit. It is a very common mistake, and the stings that follow are almost always the result of lifting a log with a nest underneath.
Wasps will build in the hollow of a stack, between planks, under the lowest layer of a pile and in gaps where the timber meets the shed wall. A queen looks for a sheltered, dry cavity with plenty of chewable wood close by, and a log store gives her all of that.
If you have a pile like this in Wothersome or anywhere nearby, resist the urge to dismantle it. Moving timber is a heavy, noisy job, and it takes away the cover that is hiding the nest, leaving you face to face with the colony.
Checklist: is the nest in the pile or in the shed?
It helps to work out where the wasps are heading before you decide what to do. From a distance, look for the following.
- Wasps landing on the end grain of logs or on the face of pallets, rather than flying straight past. They may be gathering wood fibre.
- A flight path that ends at the foot of the stack, not at a hole in the shed roof or wall.
- A gap between the pile and the shed wall where wasps seem to vanish into the shadow.
- Loose bark or leaf litter around the base of the pile that looks scraped or disturbed.
- Wasps entering the shed through the same gap as the timber touches, which suggests the nest may be in the wall itself.
If you cannot tell, that is perfectly normal. It is not necessary to be sure before you ring, and the technician will find the nest on arrival.
Hedge bottoms, gaps behind water butts and the space under old sheets of plywood leaning against a fence are also worth a glance, because they offer the same sheltered conditions. If your shed has a lean-to for logs, that is the first place to look.
What to leave untouched, and what you can do
Resist the temptation to burn the pile as a short cut. Fire near a timber shed is dangerous, and smoke does not reliably clear a nest. Do not hose the stack, and do not pull out the pallets from the bottom, where a nest could be hidden.
What you can do is keep a distance and protect people. Bring pets in, and keep children off that side of the garden. Close the shed door and windows if the wasps are heading towards them.
If the pile is used as firewood, buy a small bag from a shop for the time being rather than collecting logs from the stack. A few days without home-cut logs is better than a sting in the face.
Do not take photographs from close up for the purpose of showing us. A phone with a zoom lens, used from the patio or a window, is enough. Note down the time of day and the weather, which helps us understand how active they are.
People with a known allergy should stay indoors. If anyone is stung and shows swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, dizziness or a widespread rash, call 999.
Treatment and cost
Wasp Exterminator Leeds treats wasp nests in woodpiles, sheds and other outbuildings and covers Wothersome and the surrounding area. A nest is treated for a fixed £90, which is confirmed on the phone before the technician sets out. There is no call-out charge, and no work is carried out unless you agree.
Technicians are trained and the work is fully insured, whether you are a household or a business. If there are two nests, for example one in the logs and one in the shed roof, the additional nest on the same property is £35. The graphic showing our price also states one visit guaranteed.
We take bookings seven days a week and offer same-day service. Phone 0113 347 0014, or use the booking form on the contact page.
When you ring, say how big the stack is, whether it touches the shed and whether the ground around it is open. That tells the technician what to expect. After treatment, ask whether the empty nest can be taken down, and the technician will explain what is possible.
Rethinking where timber is stored
Once the nest has gone and the technician has said it is safe, take the opportunity to rethink where the timber lives. A pile directly against the shed wall encourages wasps and also damp, so moving it a little way off is a sensible step.
Stack logs on a raised base such as a rack or a few bricks, which keeps the bottom layer dry and leaves less room for a nest underneath. Keep the stack loose at the back so that air can pass through, and place it with the cut ends facing outwards, where you can watch for activity.
Pallets are best stood upright against a fence and covered, or taken to a recycling point if no longer needed. Stacked flat on the ground, they create cave-like gaps ideal for a queen.
Check the stack every couple of weeks from late April, from a distance, and again whenever the weather turns warm. Spotting wasps early gives you a smaller, quieter nest, and a smaller problem.
If you rely on log burning, consider buying kiln-dried logs in a sealed bag for the first stretch of autumn, and only fill the store once you are confident it is clear.
Wasps on your property in Wothersome?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.