Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
The two most prevalent species of wasp in the UK are the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) followed the German wasp (Vespula germanica) and they are a significant pest in summer months. The wasp will begin its breeding cycle in spring whereby a single queen will emerge from winter hibernation and begin to establish a colony through the building of a nest in a space that provides shelter such as a loft space or under the eaves of buildings. Wasps make their nests from wood which is chewed and mixed with their saliva to make a papier-mâché type material. Wasp colonies continue to grow until they reach their peak size in late summer, typically a fully established wasp’s nest will hold between 1,000 and 6,000 individuals. The largest nest we have dealt with was in a loft on Chase Side in Enfield. It measured 4 feet high and we estimate that it would likely have contained upwards of 15,000 wasps.
Problems Caused by Wasps
For most of their lifecycle wasps will be focused on either collecting material to build their nest or collecting green fly and other aphids to feed to the wasp larvae in their nest, later in the summer however the queen wasp will stop laying eggs and it is at this time that worker wasps will become a nuisance, often looking for sources of sugar and finding their way towards humans. Wasps can also become aggressive if a person or pet gets close to their nest and will release a pheromone to warn other wasps in the colony that there is a threat. In these situations wasp’s nests can be particularly dangerous.How Do We Treat Them?
Treatment for wasp’s nests involves spraying a contaminant insecticide dust into the entrance of the nest, the wasps that enter the nest will bring this dust inside meaning that control is generally achieved within 12 – 24 hours of treatment. Whilst you may find DIY wasp control products, it is not advisable to try to tackle a wasp nest yourself. We certainly would never even approach a nest without a protective suit and dealing with wasp’s nests along a roof line or in high up places can be particularly dangerous. The treatment we undertake for wasps is highly effective and low cost so it is not worth taking the risk of trying to deal with a wasps nest without the proper equipment and experience. We can also remove redundant wasp’s nests if you find a nest in winter or one that you suspect may be redundant.