Why Are Wasps Flying Into Your Stockhill Home? Common Causes and Solutions
In late summer and autumn, wasps turn up indoors more often as they look for sugar. Learn why this happens, how to cope and when a nest is the cause.
The pattern across the wasp year
Wasp nests start small in spring, when a single queen begins building from late April, depending on how mild the weather has been. Through the summer the colony grows, and it usually peaks around August. A nest at that point can hold two thousand to ten thousand wasps or more.
People in Stockhill often say the wasps came out of nowhere in late summer. They did not; the colony has been growing for months, but only now are so many workers out of the nest at once, and they behave differently.
The point of understanding the cycle is that it removes the mystery. Wasps are not turning up at random in autumn; they are following sugar, and they are coming from a colony that is by now at its largest.
What changes in autumn
In the early part of the season, workers collect protein to feed grubs, and they are busy hunting insects and gathering wood fibre. As the season turns, the colony has fewer young to feed, and the workers look for sugar for themselves. That is why they turn up around ice-cream cones, drinks and fruit, and why they seem to hover at open windows in a way they did not in June.
They can also appear drowsy or erratic, crawling on windowsills or flying slowly into walls. This is not a sign that the danger has passed. A wasp that seems slow can still sting if it is trapped against skin or in clothing.
There is a second reason for the change. Late in the season the queens that will start next year's colonies are produced, and the old colony begins to break down. Workers have less structure to their day, which makes their behaviour harder to predict, and more of them end up wandering into houses.
Practical steps for the season
- Keep sweet drinks covered, and check a can or bottle before you drink from it.
- Clear windfall fruit and rinse fruit trays and juice cartons.
- Shut windows in the room where you are eating, or use a fine mesh screen.
- Shake out towels, coats and shoes that have been left outdoors.
- Keep bins sealed and wash out the food waste caddy more often.
- Look at bright windows, where confused wasps gather, before opening them.
If a wasp lands on you, stay calm and let it fly off, or brush it away slowly. Quick movements are more likely to provoke a sting.
It is also worth taking a look at the outside of the house on a still afternoon. A stream of wasps that goes in and out of one spot on the roof edge or wall is easier to spot in autumn than in June, because the workers are more numerous and more visible.
Telling a late-season stray from a nest
The count is the guide. A scattering of single wasps through the day is typical for the season. A constant two-way stream to and from the same point on the house, garden wall or ground suggests a colony close by, even in autumn.
Do not assume a nest is dead because it is the autumn. Nests can still be active well after the peak, and the wasps defending one are every bit as ready to sting. The inactive, empty nests are the ones that stay quiet through the cold months and are not reused by next year's queens, but you cannot know the state of a nest by looking at it from a distance.
Anyone allergic to stings should take particular care when eating outdoors at this time of year.
Eating and drinking outdoors
The most common stings at this time of year happen when someone is eating or drinking outside. A wasp lands in a can and is swallowed with the drink, or crawls into a sandwich. Pour drinks into a glass with a lid or use a straw, check food before you eat it, and keep picnic leftovers covered.
If a wasp lands on your food, gently move the plate away rather than trying to flick it off. Children are particularly likely to wave their arms, so remind them to stay still and let it leave. Sticky hands and faces are an invitation, so wipe them after eating.
At a pub garden, a café table or a work canteen, the same advice applies: ask for the drink without sugary syrup on the rim, and put your phone down so you can see what is on the table.
The advice for homes near a nest is the same in September as in July: do not go near it. A busy colony is capable of a strong response if the nest is knocked, and the wasps from a large nest can fill a garden in seconds. If a nest is on your property, a visit is the sensible answer, whatever the month.
Businesses that serve food or drink outdoors, such as cafés and pubs with gardens, are likely to see the largest numbers of strays at this time of year. If your customers are being bothered, tell us at booking so we can plan the visit around your opening hours.
Arranging help
For a nest on your property, the cost is a fixed £95, with £35 for an extra nest, and no call-out charge. The price is confirmed over the phone first, nothing is done without your agreement, and the work is carried out by trained technicians and fully insured.
Our number is 0115 937 5117, or you can use the online form on the contact page. We work with homes and commercial premises in Stockhill and the surrounding villages, seven days a week, with same-day service offered. Mention any allergy when you book so that it can be taken into account.
Wasps on your property in Stockhill?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.