Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Hyson Green? Here's What to Do
The hatch is the one weak point between a loft nest and your living space, so this explains how to seal it off sensibly and what to leave alone.
The hatch is the weak point
If wasps have built in the loft, the only real connection between the nest and the rest of the house is the hatch, plus any gaps around pipes and light fittings. Everything you do before the technician arrives should be about keeping that connection closed.
Hyson Green, a suburb of Nottingham, has many houses where the hatch sits on a landing or in a bedroom ceiling, and the rooms below are used every day. The aim is simple: keep wasps in the loft, keep people out of it, and let a trained person deal with the nest.
Do not underestimate how small a gap a wasp can use. A hatch that looks closed from the landing may have a thin strip of daylight along one edge, and that is enough for a determined insect, especially when light is drawing it.
Check also whether the hatch cover is lined or simply a loose board. A loose board that sits on a frame will let in more wasps than a lipped, hinged door.
Check the hatch from below
Stand on the landing and look at the hatch.
- Does it sit flush, or is there a visible gap around the edge?
- Is there a light coming through? That suggests a gap at which a wasp could crawl through.
- Is it a push-up board or a hinged door, and does it have a catch?
- Are there wasps on the ceiling around the hatch, or on the landing window?
Do not open it to look in. If there is a gap, you can reduce the problem by placing a rolled towel along the hatch edge on your side, so the wasps drift less into the house. Do not push anything up into the loft.
If your hatch has a pull-down ladder, check that the spring is tight and the panel sits firmly. A ladder hatch that has been left slightly open for years is a common weak spot. Do not try to force it shut if it resists; call us and mention it.
The insulation question
Many lofts have a layer of insulation across the joists, and some have boards laid on top. Wasps can build their nest in or beside it, and may enter through gaps at the eaves. Insulation can hide the nest from view, which is another reason not to go and look.
Do not pull insulation aside to find the nest, and do not try to move stored items. Disturbing the material around the nest can provoke the colony. The technician will assess it on arrival, and we can't say where it is without a visit.
If you have recently had insulation installed or topped up, mention it when you ring, since it can affect access.
Insulation also has a practical side effect for the household: it muffles sound, so a nest under a thick layer may be quieter than you expect. Do not take quiet as a sign that there is no nest. Wasps indoors and traffic outside are better evidence than silence.
Protecting the rooms below
Keep the household away from the area under the nest, and take sensible precautions.
- Shut the doors of the rooms directly below the loft.
- Move cots, beds and play areas to another part of the house if you can.
- Keep pets away from the landing.
- Close windows in the rooms nearest the hatch, and switch off lights that draw wasps after dark.
- Keep a torch and a plan for who will answer the door to the technician.
If a wasp does get in, open a window and let it leave, rather than swatting. A swatted wasp is more likely to sting.
Think about daily routines. If the landing is the route to the bathroom, tell the household to use it quickly and quietly, and do not stand under the hatch. If a bedroom ceiling is beneath the nest, sleeping in another room for a night or two is a sensible precaution until the technician has been.
A short chat with neighbours is worth having if you share a roof line. Wasps do not respect boundaries, and a nest in your loft can affect the house next door.
Booking the treatment
Wasp nest treatment is a fixed £95 per nest, and an additional nest on the same property is £35. There is no call-out charge. Ring 0115 937 5117 and the price is confirmed before the visit. Same-day visits are available, but whether one is possible depends on the day.
Your technician is trained and insured, and the work begins only when you have agreed to it. Tell us on the phone if anyone is allergic to stings.
It is a good idea to have the loft hatch location clear for the technician. Move laundry baskets, shoes or anything stored beneath it, so access is simple if the visit involves going inside. Explain on the phone how the loft is accessed, and whether there is a ladder or fixed steps.
Afterwards
Once the nest has been treated, wait for the technician’s advice before opening the hatch. Dead wasps and the empty paper nest may remain; ask at booking whether the nest can be taken down. If someone is stung in the meantime, wash the area, remove the sting if you can see it and cool it, and call 999 for swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheeze, breathing difficulty, dizziness or a widespread rash.
Before you arrange to have insulation topped up or boards laid again, wait until the technician has said the loft is clear and safe to enter. Disturbing a treated nest too soon is not a good idea.
Wasps on your property in Hyson Green?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.