Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Radford? Here's What to Do
When wasps start appearing in a bedroom, the nest may be directly overhead, and the first hours matter, so here is what to do in the room itself.
The bedroom is where it shows
Wasps tend to find their way into the house through the shortest route from the nest, and from a loft that is often the bedroom or landing beneath it. People often notice the first insects on a curtain, a window or the ceiling, long before they suspect a nest.
Radford, a suburb of Nottingham, has plenty of terraces and semis where the bedroom sits immediately under the roof space, and the gap between a nest and a pillow can be a single layer of plasterboard.
If you find a few wasps in a bedroom in summer, especially on the ceiling or around a light fitting, treat it as a warning.
Wasps that come into the house from a loft nest are usually workers looking for a way out of the building or following the light, and they are often more confused than aggressive. That does not make them harmless, but it does mean that calm behaviour reduces the risk of stings.
What to do in the room
Stay calm. Wasps are not hunting people; they have wandered in.
- Open the window as wide as possible and leave the room if you can.
- Do not swat. Wasps that are squashed or hit become more likely to sting.
- Close the door and put a towel along the bottom to stop more following.
- Make a note of where they appear: ceiling, light, window, near the wardrobe.
- Sleep elsewhere until the problem is dealt with, if wasps keep appearing.
Keep sandals on, and avoid walking about the room barefoot in the dark. A wasp on the floor is easy to tread on. If you must go in, turn on the light first and check the carpet and bedding.
If a wasp lands on you, stay still and let it fly off or gently brush it away with a piece of paper. Most stings happen when a wasp is trapped against skin, in clothing or in bedding, so shake out clothes and sheets before use. A cold pack and a calm word are enough for a mild sting; if there is any sign of a more serious reaction, such as facial swelling or difficulty breathing, call 999.
Where are they coming from?
Wasps in a bedroom can have come through a ceiling gap, around a light fitting, along a pipe, or from a hatch that does not fit. A nest in the loft is the most common reason when the wasps appear from above and keep coming.
Check, from outside, whether wasps are going in and out of the eaves or roof edge above that room. If so, the nest is almost certainly there. Do not go into the loft to find out.
It may take a little time to be sure. Wasps entering from above one morning and not the next does not mean the nest has gone; activity varies with the weather. If the pattern repeats over several days, treat it as a nest.
One more observation worth noting is the time of day. Wasps tend to enter rooms in the warm hours; if they appear after sunset only when a light is on, they are probably already inside rather than newly arrived. Tell us which, because it hints at whether the route into the house is open all day.
Protecting the bedroom
Keep the door closed. Check that light fittings, loft hatches and gaps around radiators or pipes are not obviously open. A rolled towel along the hatch edge on your side helps.
If you have a child or a cot in the room, move them for now. Cover food and drink, and clean up sweet spills elsewhere in the house. Wasps in a house are drawn to light and warmth, so close the curtains and turn off the lights on the window side after dark.
A spare room or a sofa for a night or two is a small price to pay for a good night’s sleep. If the person most affected is a child, move their bed first. Also check the pillows and bedding before getting in, shaking them out by the open window.
Getting the nest treated
Ring 0115 937 5117, tell us that wasps are appearing in a bedroom and that you suspect the loft, and mention anyone who is allergic. Treatment is a fixed £95 per nest, with no call-out charge, and £35 for an additional nest at the same property. Same-day service is offered, though it cannot be promised for every call.
A trained, fully insured technician does the work, and only with your agreement.
Put the details of what you have seen in writing so that whoever is at home can pass them on: the room, how many wasps, at what time of day, and any sounds. It makes the visit smoother and helps the technician start in the right place.
Afterwards
A few stray wasps may appear indoors for a short time. Open a window and let them go. Keep the hatch closed until the technician says otherwise. Dead wasps and the empty nest may remain in the loft, and you can ask at booking whether the nest can be taken down.
For a sting: wash the area, take out the sting if visible and use a cold pack. Facial or throat swelling, wheeze, breathing difficulty, dizziness or a widespread rash needs 999.
Keep a small log: date, room, number of wasps. After treatment, the numbers should fall. If they do not, that log is the first thing to hand to the technician.
Where the bedroom is in a house with a loft conversion or a dormer, say so, as the layout can change where the nest is likely to be. The ceiling may be sloped, and the void behind it can hold a nest too.
Wasps on your property in Radford?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.