Wasp Nests Under Roof Tiles – A Common Problem for Scraptoft Homes
Wasps do not need a large hole to move into a roof. Knowing the small gaps they favour helps you describe the problem accurately and hold off on any repairs until it is dealt with.
A hole smaller than a pencil
One thing surprises many householders: the opening a nest hides behind is often tiny. A queen wasp looking for a place to start a colony in spring is not choosing a spacious cavity. She is looking for a way into one. A slot barely wider than her body is enough, and once inside, the space beyond can be much bigger than the hole that leads to it.
That is why people find roof nests in houses with perfectly decent-looking roofs. Nothing is obviously broken. The entrance is a line of shadow along an edge, and the colony has been working behind it for weeks before the first wasp is noticed on a window.
Common ways in, from the bottom of the roof upwards
Roofs have a handful of places where different materials meet, and those joins are where gaps tend to open up. When you stand in the garden at Scraptoft or anywhere else, look along these lines.
- Eaves and soffits: the strip beneath the overhang where a board has shrunk away from the wall or a vent has a wider mesh than it should.
- Fascia boards: a small space behind a fascia, especially at a corner or where two lengths of board meet.
- Tile edges: a tile slightly lifted or chipped, allowing access to the batten space beneath.
- The verge: the sloping edge at a gable end, where the tile ends and the mortar can crack over time.
- Ridge and hip lines: spots where the bedding material has worn and left a slit.
- Around the chimney: the junction between brick and roof covering.
You are not being asked to inspect any of these. Simply noting which line the wasps seem to use gives a very good starting point.
Which gap are they actually using?
Several gaps might look suspicious, but wasps will be using only one or two. Watch from a safe distance and follow what the insects do rather than what the building looks like. The gap with wasps passing through it is the one. A crack that nothing goes near is usually just a crack.
Staying still and observing from the ground for a few minutes is plenty. Please resist the urge to poke, photograph from the ladder, or lift anything. Because the nest is close behind the entrance, small movements near it matter.
If wasps seem to appear in more than one place, tell us. Occasionally a nest has two exits, and occasionally two separate nests exist in the same roof, which is why an additional nest at £35 can be dealt with during the same visit.
Repairs come after, not before
Once you know where the entrance is, there is a strong pull towards fixing it straight away. A dab of sealant seems sensible. It is not. With a live colony behind it, a blocked entrance pushes wasps to find another one, and the other way is as likely to lead into the house as out of it.
The sensible order is simple: have the nest treated first, wait until wasp activity at the gap has stopped, and then arrange for a roofer to close the opening. A repair done afterwards also lasts, because it is not being pushed against by a colony.
Why some roofs attract them more than others
It is natural to assume that a wasp nest says something about the quality of the house, and it rarely does. Wasps are looking for three things: shelter from rain, protection from predators and a quiet cavity they can enlarge from the inside. Any roof with a gap that gives access to such a space qualifies.
Older and newer properties alike can offer this. A new build can have a tiny gap where boards meet. An older roof may have settled and opened a slot beside the chimney. A sun-warmed, south-facing wall with a dry cavity behind it is just as attractive as a shady one, although you cannot always predict which side of a house a queen will favour.
What does matter is timing. Queens start looking for a site from late April, depending on how mild the spring has been. A nest started then is small through May, builds steadily through the summer and peaks in August. If you spot a few wasps at an eave early on, you may be seeing a young colony that is easier to overlook and just as definite as a late one.
Hedges, sheds and garden walls nearby do not change the picture much. If you have found a nest on one part of the house, it is still worth glancing at the others, since occasionally more than one is present on the same property.
If you rent your home, the same advice applies, though who arranges and pays for the work depends on your tenancy agreement, so check it or ask your landlord or agent. We are happy to take the booking from either of you.
Arranging a visit
A wasp nest at roof level is treated for a fixed £95 and £35 for any additional nest on the same property. There is no call-out charge, the price is agreed on the phone first and no work starts until you say yes. Trained, fully insured technicians cover domestic and commercial properties seven days a week, and same-day service is available.
You can phone 0116 214 9259, or use the booking form on our contact page at /contact-us/. Mention any allergy to wasp stings when you book.
Ask the technician at the time whether the empty nest can be taken down once it has been treated. Then, when the wasps have gone, call a roofer to seal the gap.
Wasps on your property in Scraptoft?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.