How Long Does Professional Wasp Nest Treatment Take in Wykebeck?
The part of treatment that confuses people most is the returning wasps. Here is who they are, why they keep coming back, and how long that usually goes on.
Treatment is quick; the returning wasps are what you notice
The honest answer to how long treatment takes has two halves. The technician’s work on the nest is usually brief. The part that you will actually see, and probably remember, is the stretch afterwards when wasps keep coming back to a nest that no longer works.
Understanding who those wasps are takes a lot of the worry out of it, so this page concentrates on them. It applies equally to a nest in Wykebeck, in the Leeds area, or in any other part of the region we cover.
A colony is never all at home
At any moment during the day a good share of a nest’s wasps are away collecting food and building material. A summer colony can hold thousands of wasps, so even a modest proportion being out is a large number. When the technician treats the nest, those absent wasps are not there.
They fly home on their usual routes and land at the entrance as they have done all season. Wasps find their way by landmarks, which is why they head for the same wall, fence post or hole even when the nest inside has been dealt with.
That is why the flight line near the entrance can look almost as busy an hour after treatment as an hour before. The sight is misleading. The nest is treated, and what you are watching is the last of the traffic arriving.
What the first day usually looks like
In the first hours after the visit you will usually see wasps hovering at the entrance, landing, walking on the surface and flying off. Some will hang around the wall or soffit near the entrance for a while. Numbers normally fall as the day goes on.
By dusk the picture is generally calmer, with only the occasional wasp checking the spot. A few things can make the first day more confusing than it needs to be.
- Wasps drawn to light may collect on the inside of a window facing the nest. Keeping curtains drawn on that side can reduce this.
- Sweet drinks and food outside will attract the stragglers, so clear them away.
- Tall plants and hedges next to the nest site can hide wasps, so give them a wide berth for the day.
- Children’s toys and pet bowls left near the entrance are best brought in until things settle.
One more point that surprises people: the returning wasps are not hunting for someone to sting. They are confused, and they behave defensively only if something gets in their way or swats at them. Moving calmly and keeping a sensible distance is all that is needed.
It also explains why the first day can feel longer than the treatment did. Nothing is going wrong while you wait; the colony is simply running out of members, and the traffic you see is the tail end of it.
Day two and beyond
Activity at the old entrance usually continues to ease over a day or two. If you are still seeing a few wasps on the second morning, that does not mean something is wrong. The last stragglers can take a little longer to stop returning than the bulk of the colony.
What you are looking for is direction of travel. Is it getting quieter? If so, wait. If the entrance is as busy on day three as it was on day one, that is the point to get in touch.
When you do, tell us what you can about the position of the entrance and how it compares with the day of the visit. A comparison such as “far fewer, but still a steady few every minute” gives a much better picture than a simple statement that wasps remain.
Photographs taken from a window or a safe distance can help too, though you should never go closer to get one. A clear picture of the wall or eave with the wasps visible tells us where the entrance is and roughly how many are using it.
Things that make returning wasps worse
Householders sometimes make things harder by reacting to what they see. The following all tend to backfire.
- Blocking the entrance. Returning wasps then search for other routes, and one of them might lead indoors.
- Knocking the nest down. Wasps that remain become defensive, and the nest site continues to attract them.
- Swatting at the flying wasps yourself. It can provoke them without solving anything.
- Standing close to the entrance to count them. Wasps hovering at a defended spot can sting if you are in the way.
Leave all of that to the technician. If you want the empty nest removed once it is quiet, ask when you book whether that can be done.
Booking and what it costs
A nest is treated for a fixed £90, with £35 for an additional nest on the same property, and there is no call-out charge. The price is confirmed on the phone before the visit and nothing is done without your agreement. Our price graphic carries the words one visit guaranteed.
To arrange it, ring 0113 347 0014 or use the online booking form on the contact page. We are open seven days a week and same-day service is offered. Tell us if anyone at home is allergic to stings.
Because we cover Wykebeck and the surrounding villages seven days a week, there is no need to wait for a particular day to ring. If you spot the traffic of wasps at an entrance and are unsure whether it is a nest, describe it on the phone and we can usually tell you what it sounds like.
Wasps on your property in Wykebeck?
Fixed price £90 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.