When Is Wasp Season in Ilkeston?
The wasp year does not end tidily in September, so it helps to know how a colony declines, what it leaves behind and when a nest is still a risk.
When the season actually ends
People often assume wasps vanish on a particular date. In practice the end of the season is gradual, and it varies from year to year with the weather. In Ilkeston, as elsewhere, the colony peaks in August and then starts to wind down, with activity tailing off through September and October and finishing once the first hard frosts arrive.
During the decline the workers do not stop being able to sting. If anything they can seem more irritable, because they have lost their usual work and are wandering in search of food.
The pattern is the same in most years, even if the dates move. Wasps are most visible when the colony is at its fullest and food is scarce, and that is the moment many people think the season is at its worst, although the nest is about to fail.
Rather than relying on the date, look at what the insects are doing. Wasps still flying purposefully into one opening on a warm October afternoon indicate a working colony. Lethargic wasps crawling on windows or the ground on a cold morning are near the end of their lives and will not start a new nest.
What is going on inside the nest
Late in the season the queen stops laying the kind of eggs that become workers. Instead the colony raises new queens and males, which leave to mate. The new queens find a sheltered place to spend the winter, perhaps under bark, in a shed or in a quiet corner of a building. The old queen and the workers die, and the nest is not used again.
This is why a wasp or two found in a loft or outbuilding in autumn or winter is usually a sleeping queen, not a sign of a nest.
For a householder, this is reassuring. Once autumn is well advanced, the natural end of the colony is close, and the main thing is to avoid giving anyone an unlucky sting while it lasts. Do not tip out bins close to the nest, and do not put the compost heap or fallen fruit near the flight path.
Is a late nest still worth treating?
If wasps are still flying in and out of an opening, the nest is active and should be treated with the same caution as one in August. A late nest can still hold thousands of wasps, and disturbing it can bring them out.
Signs that a nest is probably active:
- Wasps entering and leaving the same hole during warm daytime hours
- Buzzing or scratching from a wall or ceiling
- Wasps hovering around the entrance when you pass
If you are not sure, describe what you see when you phone and we can talk it through. Do not go and investigate closely yourself.
One caution: a nest that has stopped being used may still contain a few wasps or may attract stragglers that wander in from other places. If you need to be certain, avoid poking, and ask for advice instead of trying to check by looking closely.
Old nests in winter
Once the frosts have been and gone, a nest that you can see in a tree or hedge, or one that has been uncovered during tidying, is almost certainly empty. Even so, it is worth being careful. Handling an old nest can stir up dried debris, and it is not always easy to be sure everything inside is dead.
Ask the technician at booking whether the empty nest can be taken down. For nests in lofts or cavities, it is often better to leave them alone than to dig them out, but a professional can advise on the situation.
Removing an old nest from a roof space is rarely urgent. It can look alarming, but it is a dry, papery structure and will not grow or return to life. A brief chat with the technician will help you decide whether any further action is worthwhile.
If you have found a cluster of dead wasps beneath an entrance in late autumn, that is usually the last of the colony dying off naturally, and not a fresh outbreak. Sweep them up with a brush and pan wearing gloves, as a few may not be quite finished.
Preparing for next year
Winter is a good moment to make the building less appealing to a queen looking for a site in spring. Fill obvious gaps in woodwork or brickwork once you are certain no wasps are using them, repair damaged soffits and check that loft vents are in good order. Make a note to look around again in late April.
If a nest does need treatment at any point, the fixed price is £95 per nest and £35 for an additional nest on the same property, with no call-out charge and the price confirmed on the phone first. Phone 0115 937 5117, or fill in the booking form under contact us on the website.
If your property is a business premises, schedule the same sort of check as part of your closing-down routine for the season, so any gaps are sealed up before spring.
Pests that get mistaken for wasps in winter
Cold-weather finds can cause confusion. Flies that cluster near windows in autumn, slow-moving queens found inside curtains and stray insects that appear when the heating comes on are often taken for a nest, when they are single insects waking up in the warmth. A genuine nest has regular traffic during warm hours, not an occasional wanderer.
If you only find the occasional drowsy insect, gently guide it outside using a glass and a piece of card, and keep the window shut afterwards. We deal with wasps only, so if you suspect something other than a wasp, contact a suitable specialist.
Wasps on your property in Ilkeston?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.