Wasps Around Your Guttering and Fascias? How to Find the Nest in Gunthorpe
Not every roof edge nest is two storeys up. Porches, garages and extensions offer low, sheltered gaps that wasps find just as appealing.
The smaller roofs around your home
When people think of wasps in the eaves, they picture the main roof. In reality, the lower roofs around a house are just as popular. A porch, a garage, a lean-to, a conservatory edge or a rear extension all have fascia boards, gaps and hidden voids, and they are often easier for a queen to reach.
In Gunthorpe, in Nottinghamshire, a small roof near the back door can easily hold a nest, and because it is close to where you walk, it is often noticed sooner. The same cavity that shelters a nest from the rain also hides it from view.
Our aim here is a practical one: to help you spot the problem in the places you use every day.
A small roof can hold a large colony, so do not be fooled by the modest size of the building.
Why low roofs are risky
A nest at low level seems less alarming, but it is often more hazardous. The entrance may be at head height beside a doorway or a path, so people pass right through the flight line. Children, dogs and wheelie bins tend to be nearby.
- front door porches where visitors and deliveries pass
- garage side doors and up-and-over door frames
- rear extensions beside patios and washing lines
- outbuildings and car ports with open eaves
A wasp’s defence is quick, and walking within a metre or two of an entrance can provoke an attack, even when you did not realise the nest was there.
A conservatory roof edge or the join between an extension and the old wall can be especially inviting, with narrow gaps that are easy to overlook until the wasps begin to use them.
Do not rely on a glance. Low roofs can hide gaps behind overhanging plants, climbers or stored items, and the wasps themselves may be the only clue.
Watching safely
Because the nest is low, the temptation to look closely is strong. Please do not. Stand back several metres, watch the line of wasps and note exactly where they go in. Take a photo from a distance if you can.
Then reroute people. Use another door where you can. Put a chair or cone across the path so visitors do not walk past, and put a note on the front door if the porch is affected. Keep pets in another part of the garden.
Do not block the gap. A low entrance seems easy to plug with a bit of rag or filler, but wasps blocked from the nest find other ways, and in a porch that can be through the door seal or a window.
If you have a washing line, a bird feeder or a barbecue near the affected roof, move them for now. The foot traffic they create takes you into the flight path of the wasps.
If you must pass the area for a delivery or to bring in the bins, move slowly and calmly, and avoid crouching near the gap. Quick movements near a nest increase the chance of a sting.
The visit
Low nests are usually quick to reach. The technician comes, checks the entrance, treats the nest and tells you what to expect. Our price is a fixed £95 for each nest and is agreed over the phone before anyone visits, and there is no call-out charge.
If there is a second nest, perhaps on the garage as well as the porch, each additional nest on the same property costs £35 and it is easiest to say so when booking. We offer same-day service and are open seven days a week.
Keep children and pets indoors during the visit, and close windows and doors on the affected side.
For a business such as a small unit with garages or a workshop, the same applies. We do domestic and commercial work, and the visit follows the same steps whatever the type of building.
People often feel silly about calling for a nest in a porch or a garage, but there is no need. It is exactly the sort of job we do every day in the season, and we would rather be rung than have someone stung at the front door.
Afterwards
Returning wasps may circle for a few hours and activity usually fades over a day or two. Use another route into the house until it is quiet, and leave the nest and gap alone. After that, a joiner can repair or replace boards.
Ask us at booking whether the empty nest can be taken down. A porch nest is often easier to deal with than one on the main roof, but it depends on the structure.
Even for a low nest, the repair should wait until all wasp activity has ended. A joiner can then fit a new board or fill a gap properly, which beats a quick patch in a hurry.
If a nest is close to a window that opens onto the garden, keep that window shut until the activity has gone.
Booking
Ring 0115 937 5117 or use the online form on the contact page, and describe where the wasps are going in. If anyone in the household is allergic to stings, tell us when you book so it can be taken into account.
Remember that the number of wasps at a low nest can be just as large as at a high one, so the same caution applies. Treat it with respect and let a trained technician handle it.
One last thing about the front of a house: if a porch nest is near the doorbell, ask visitors and delivery drivers to wait at the gate until the technician has been.
Wasps on your property in Gunthorpe?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.