How to Tell If You Have an Active Wasp Nest on Your West Bridgford Property
An empty wasp nest still deserves care. Learn how to judge an abandoned nest at your West Bridgford property and why you should not poke or knock it.
The nest with no wasps
Sometimes the nest turns up after the season has ended: a grey papery ball in a loft, a shed or a bush, with no wasps flying near. It looks harmless, and it is tempting to knock it down, take it as a curiosity or give it to the children.
At a property in West Bridgford, just across the River Trent from Nottingham, the same rules apply as anywhere. An empty nest may be truly empty, but you cannot be sure by looking, and the cost of being wrong is a lot of stings.
The short answer to the question of what to do with an empty nest is nearly always the same: leave it for now, stay back and make sure before you act.
What an abandoned nest looks like
A nest that has finished its season is usually dry, brittle and pale, and it may have a hole or damage on one side. There is no steady flow of wasps. The paper may look faded, and cobwebs or dirt may be on it. There is no hum.
- No wasps entering or leaving over several warm days.
- A dry, papery surface that may crumble.
- Cobwebs or a coating of grime on the outside.
- A larger opening at the bottom than a nest in use.
- Found after the first hard frosts of late autumn or winter.
- No sound when you stand nearby.
A nest in use is fresh in colour, tends to have a single small hole, and has wasps visiting at any hour of warm daylight.
Compare it with what you saw in summer. If you remember wasps at the spot in July and the nest is silent in December, the nest has probably finished. If you only found it in autumn, treat it with more care.
Why not poke it
There are three reasons. The first is that a nest which looks quiet may still hold wasps. In cool weather they stay inside, and a nest in a cold loft may appear lifeless on a dull day when it is not.
The second is that a damaged nest can still hold leftover wasps. They may be sluggish, but they can still sting.
The third is that, even if it is empty, taking it down by yourself means working at height or reaching into a gap. That has its own risks, such as falls or being stung by a wasp that was resting in a corner.
Will the nest be reused?
Wasps do not reuse an old nest. A new queen will start afresh in spring, often in the same general area, since a good site is a good site. She may build a new nest in the same gap, beside an old one, or in another sheltered spot nearby.
That means that an old nest is a clue to a weak point in the building. If wasps nested there once, they may again. The time to repair the gap is in the colder months, once you are certain that the nest is empty.
If you want the old nest taken away, ask the technician when you book whether the empty nest can be taken down.
Dealing with the gap afterwards
If a nest has been treated or is truly empty, the gap it used is still there. Winter is the time to deal with it. Check the wall, the roofline or the airbrick, and fix whatever allowed the queen in. A strip of fine mesh over a vent, repointing a crack or refitting a loose board are all sensible jobs.
Do these repairs only when you are sure that no wasps are inside. Sealing a gap on an active nest traps the colony and drives wasps into the house. That is why waiting until the cold months, when no wasps are flying, is the safest course.
If the old nest is inside a wall or roof void, you may not be able to reach it. You can leave it where it is. It will not cause any further trouble once the colony has gone, though the paper can attract other insects. If you want the nest removed, ask when you book, and the technician will tell you what is practical.
Finally, keep an eye on the same spot the following April and May. A single large wasp investigating the old gap is a sign that a new queen is interested, and a quick repair or a phone call at that stage can stop a new nest before it gets going.
If you are unsure
If you cannot tell whether the nest is empty, treat it as active. Keep away, and watch it for a few warm days. If there is any sign of traffic, ring us. If you are sure it is empty, you can leave it where it is, or arrange for its removal.
It is also worth saying that an empty nest is not a problem for the people who live near it. It is just something to keep an eye on until the next spring.
If you cannot tell whether the nest is empty, treat it as active. Keep away and watch it for a few warm days. If there is any sign of traffic, get in touch. If you are sure it is empty, you can leave it where it is or arrange for its removal.
Should wasps turn out to be using it, the cost of treatment is £95 fixed, and £35 for each additional nest on the property. There is no call-out charge, and you are told the price on the phone before a visit is arranged. Nothing goes ahead without your agreement. Telephone 0115 937 5117 or use the contact page form. We are available seven days a week with same-day service, handling domestic and commercial jobs with trained, fully insured technicians.
Wasps on your property in West Bridgford?
Fixed price £95 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.