Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Wymeswold? Here's What to Do
When the loft is not yours to deal with, such as in a rented house or a managed building, the first job is sorting out who arranges and agrees the work.
When the loft belongs to someone else
A wasp nest in the roof can be especially awkward if you rent, share a building or manage a property for someone else. Tenants wonder whether they should call someone straight away. Landlords and agents want to be told promptly. Neighbours in a terrace or flats may share one roof space and not know who should act.
The practical answer is to tell the person who looks after the building at once, in writing if possible, and keep a copy. What the tenancy agreement says about pests and repairs differs from one agreement to another, so check yours or ask the landlord or agent. We cannot give advice about who is responsible, and it is better to check than to assume.
In Wymeswold and nearby villages, a short email with a few details usually gets things moving much faster than a vague phone message.
If you are a landlord, a prompt response matters. A tenant who reports a nest and hears nothing for a week is likely to try something themselves, which is exactly what you want to avoid.
What to write down for the landlord or agent
Clear information helps whoever arranges the work. A tenant can usually provide it without ever opening the hatch.
- The date you first heard or saw signs, and how often since.
- The room or landing where you notice the sound or the wasps.
- Where, from outside, wasps seem to enter the roof.
- Any person in the household with a known sting allergy.
- When someone will be home to give access.
Photos taken from a distance, such as the roofline with the wasps' flight path or a dated image of wasps indoors, are useful records. Do not take them from a ladder or from close range, because the wasps may react.
Share the notes by email or message so there is a written record of when you first reported the problem. That helps everyone, and it avoids confusion about what was said and when.
Staying safe while it is sorted out
Whoever is paying for the treatment, the household still has to stay safe in the meantime. The rules for a loft nest are the same wherever you live.
- Keep the hatch closed and stay out of the roof space.
- Leave the outside entrance as it is; never fill or cover it.
- Shut the door of any room where wasps are appearing and keep towels along the gap underneath.
- Cover food and sugary drinks, and keep bins tightly lidded.
- Keep children and pets away from the landing below the nest.
A nest can hold 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps by August, and a disturbed colony can sting in large numbers, which is why it is best not to test it.
Households with young children, older relatives or anyone who is allergic should take particular care, and should tell us at booking so that we can take it into account.
Arranging the visit
Whoever books, the process is the same. Wasp nest treatment is a fixed £95 per nest, agreed on the phone before the technician attends, and no work starts until the customer agrees. An extra nest on the same property is £35 extra. There is no call-out charge, the technician is trained, and the work is fully insured. We work on domestic and commercial premises and offer same-day service, seven days a week.
If you are the tenant and the landlord has said to go ahead, say so when you call. If the landlord or agent is making the booking, give them the details you have noted and arrange who will open the door. When the property is empty or let to someone else, it helps to name a contact who can give access.
If the loft is accessed through a communal area, tell us when you book.
Where several flats or houses share a roof, one visit may be able to cover the whole space, and a second nest is only £35 extra. Say so at booking and we will plan for it.
If a sting happens
While arrangements are being made, someone may well get stung. Most stings can be dealt with at home: move away, wash the area, remove the sting if you can see it and apply a cold pack. Keep watching the person for a while afterwards.
If there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheeze or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash, call 999 immediately. Anyone who knows they react badly to stings should talk to their GP.
Having the allergy noted when the booking is made is sensible for tenants and landlords alike, and it costs nothing to mention.
After the nest has gone
Once treated, the colony will not return to that nest, and a few stragglers around the entrance are normal. The remaining shell is papery and harmless. If you would like it removed, ask whether this is possible when booking, rather than on the day.
Dead wasps on the landing can be vacuumed up once you are certain activity has stopped, and the bag disposed of. Repairs to the roofline are a matter for whoever looks after the building, and are best carried out after the nest has been treated.
Booking is by phone on 0116 214 9259, or through the online booking form on the contact page.
Once the work is done, repairs to the roofline, such as sealing gaps and refitting loose boards, are best discussed with whoever looks after the building, since they decide what is repaired and when. It is worth keeping the booking confirmation and the date of the visit with your other records for the property, in case anyone asks later.
Wasps on your property in Wymeswold?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.