Wasp Control for Thurmaston Restaurants, Pubs and Commercial Premises
Open doors, warm food and queues of customers give wasps plenty of reasons to hang around a takeaway or shop entrance. This guide explains how to handle it quickly.
Doors that stay open all day
A takeaway or convenience shop usually keeps its door open, or opens and closes it every few seconds. For a wasp, that is an invitation. Warm fried food, sauces, sweet drinks and ice cream give off strong smells, and the door lets those smells drift out to the street while the wasps drift in.
The first wasp at the counter may be a one-off. A steady stream, particularly at the same time of day, means there is probably a nest within flying distance. In summer a colony needs a great deal of food, and a busy frontage competes well with the woods and gardens nearby.
Thurmaston lies just north of Leicester, and shops there are often on a through route with a lot of foot traffic. That is good for trade, but it means wasps at the door are seen by a lot of people.
There is also a difference between a shop that sells food and one that does not. A hardware shop or a florist may see only a few wasps. A food outlet, a baker or a sweet shop will see many more, because every opening of the door sends the smell of food out to the street.
Where the nest might be
The nest does not have to be on your unit. Neighbouring roofs, shared passages and the back lane can all hold one. Check the following from a safe distance:
- The soffit and fascia above the shopfront, including the gap above the sign box.
- The back wall and any pipe or vent that leaves the building near the kitchen.
- Gaps around roller shutter boxes, which are warm and sheltered.
- Fence lines, hedges and bare earth at the back of the premises.
- Disused outbuildings and flat roofs, where a nest may have been building quietly since spring.
If the nest is on a neighbouring property, tell them and offer to share the details. A single visit can often cover more than one nest at the same address, with each additional nest at £35 per extra nest. A nest that belongs to someone else is theirs to arrange, and the arrangements may depend on who owns or manages the building.
A useful test is to stand at the doorway for ten minutes in the afternoon and watch where the wasps come from. They tend to arrive from the same direction each time, and that direction is a clue to the nest's position. Do not follow them far, and never go into a neighbour's yard without asking.
Handling customers and the queue
What matters in a takeaway is that nobody gets stung while holding a hot drink or a child. Staff should know the basics before the lunch rush.
- Keep the sweet items and sauces on the counter covered, and put lids on cups straight away.
- Place a bin with a shut lid a little away from the entrance, not beside the queue.
- Do not swat. A wasp that is hit may sting, and the smell it gives off can attract others.
- Let customers who are afraid of wasps wait outside or at the end of the counter.
- Wipe the counter, the door handle and any trays regularly.
If a customer is stung, wash the area, take the sting out if it can be seen and apply something cold. Call 999 if there is any swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing, difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. A person who knows they react badly should see their GP about it.
Staff should also be told to avoid wearing sweet-smelling products at the counter if wasps are about, and to keep their own drinks under the till rather than on display. Small habits like these cost nothing and help.
What the visit looks like
A technician, who is trained and fully insured, will come to the address after you have agreed the price. The nest is treated for a fixed £95 per nest, and an additional nest on the same property is £35 per extra nest. There is no call-out charge. We work seven days a week, we offer same-day service, and we are used to domestic and commercial customers alike.
Give us the position of the nest and the best place to meet the technician, and tell us at booking if anyone in your family or team is allergic to wasp stings. If you would like the empty nest removed, raise it at booking so the technician can tell you what to expect.
Before the visit, move any stock, display stands and bins from the area under the nest, so the technician has clear access. Keep customers away from that part of the premises until the technician has finished and told you it is safe to use again.
Keeping the doorway less attractive
After the nest has been treated, the best approach is to remove what drew wasps to your door in the first place. Wash the pavement outside the frontage if oil or sugary drinks have splashed there. Move the bottle bank, the waste cooking oil store and the cardboard recycling away from the entrance if you can. Keep the bin lids closed and rinse the cans and cartons before they go in.
A fly curtain or screen is a cheap way to keep insects out when the door is open. Check that it is not blocked by a delivery stack, which often happens on Monday and Friday mornings.
Booking
To arrange treatment, phone 0116 214 9259 or use the online form on the contact page. Please tell us the address, the position of the nest and when the shop is usually quietest, so that the technician can plan the visit sensibly. We cover Thurmaston and the surrounding villages.
Mention whether the pavement outside is busy at lunchtime so the technician can plan the approach around your customers.
Wasps on your property in Thurmaston?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.