Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Flitwick? Here's What to Do
When the loft has been converted into a bedroom or a home office, a nest in the roof void is much closer to daily life. Here is how to handle it.
When the loft is part of the living space
Not every loft is a cold, empty void. Some have been boarded, insulated or converted into a bedroom, a playroom or a home office. In those cases a wasp nest does not sit in an unused space. It may be behind a sloping ceiling, in the eaves beside a wardrobe, or in a gap just beyond a knee wall. People may be sitting or sleeping only a few centimetres away.
That makes the problem more pressing, and the advice slightly different from that for a plain loft. The room is occupied, so the household has to decide how to use it in the meantime.
There is a further consideration if the room is used by someone with an allergy or by young children. In that case, move them out at once and tell the business when you book. The client’s advice is that an allergy mentioned at the time of booking helps the booking to be prioritised.
Stop using the room
The simplest and safest step is to take the room out of use until the nest has been treated. Move the desk into another room, or the bed to a different bedroom, even if it is inconvenient. A wasp nest behind the wall or ceiling can be heard and, if wasps find a way in, seen.
- Work from a different room for a day or two.
- Move children’s sleeping arrangements.
- Keep the door of the room closed.
- Do not lean on, or knock against, walls and sloping ceilings.
- Do not hang anything on the wall near the nest.
If you use the room for work, tell colleagues you may need to move. A few days of disruption is far better than an incident with a colony in the wall.
If you cannot move out entirely, limit the time you spend in the room and make sure the door is closed when you leave it. Switch off lights that attract insects at night if you can do so from the doorway, and avoid leaving food or drinks in the room.
Spotting a nest behind the walls
In a converted room, the sign may be a buzzing sound in a wall or the eaves cupboard, wasps at a window, or wasps emerging from a gap along a skirting board or at the edge of a skylight. These are all signs of a route from the nest into the room.
Do not open the eaves cupboard or lift access panels to investigate. Doing so puts you close to the nest and with little room to retreat. Keep any access doors in the eaves closed, and tell the business where they are.
One more sign worth recognising is a change in the sound of the room. A new hum or rustle after a spell of warm weather may be the first sign. Mention when you first noticed it, as that helps the technician judge how established the nest is.
Wasps coming into the room
If wasps are entering the room, open a window on the opposite side to where you stand and leave the room, closing the door behind you. They often make for the light and will exit on their own. Do not swat. Do not try to catch them with bare hands.
If you have a skylight or roof window, take care when opening it, since wasps may be gathered around the frame. Open it with a long pole or leave it closed.
Anyone who has been stung should wash the area, remove the sting if visible and apply a cold pack. Swelling of the face, lips or throat, breathing difficulty, wheezing, dizziness or a spreading rash call for 999, not for waiting to see.
Treatment and price
The technician is fully insured and qualified and will work out the best route to the nest, which could be from outside, from the loft space or via the eaves. The price is a fixed £70 per nest, £30 extra for an additional nest on the same property, no call-out charge, confirmed on the phone before the visit. Special access equipment might raise it, particularly where the roof is high or awkward. No work is done without your agreement.
Be clear on the call about the layout: where the room is, how wasps are getting in and what the access is like. Same-day service is offered, and ringing early gives the best chance.
The technician may also want to look at the room from the inside, so be ready to show them in. Clear the floor in front of the access point and take down pictures from the walls beside it. If the nest is behind a panel, make sure the panel can be reached without having to shift heavy furniture.
Afterwards
When the technician has finished, ask when you can use the room again and whether any dead wasps or nest paper may be found. Wear gloves to clear them, and check the corners of the room and the window sills. If you notice anything unusual in the following days, ring back.
To get a visit booked, call 07852 111 437, or write through the online form or contact page instead. Evening and weekend appointments are available, and both homes and businesses are covered. If anyone is allergic to wasp stings, say so, so the booking can be prioritised.
Once the room is back in use, leave the windows closed for a day or two during the warm part of the afternoon, and keep an eye on the corners for anything unusual. A wasp or two near the old route in the first few days is not a surprise, but a steady stream is worth a phone call. Mention the room and the time of day when you ring.
Wasps on your property in Flitwick?
Fixed price £70 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.