Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Hemel Hempstead? Here's What to Do
The loft hatch is the one door between you and a wasp nest. Here is why it should stay shut, how to seal off the landing sensibly and what the technician will need.
The hatch is a boundary
In a house with a wasp nest in the loft, the hatch is the only barrier between the colony and the landing, and so how you treat it matters. The best policy is simple: leave it closed, do not lift it and do not allow anyone else to.
People are often tempted to take a quick look because they want to see how big the problem is. The trouble is that a hatch opens directly into a space full of wasps, with little room to step back. The few seconds of looking could cost several stings.
Think about the size of the opening too. A standard hatch is only a short step from the nest in many houses, and the first wasps to come out will be the guard wasps, who are more inclined to sting than a worker out foraging. If the hatch is on a small landing, there is almost nowhere to step back.
None of this means the situation is out of control. It means the household has a clear job to do, which is to keep away from the hatch and let a qualified person open it.
Keeping the hatch closed and well sealed in practice
Most hatches do not fit perfectly. There may be a gap around the edge, a loose catch or a missing lid. Wasps will find their way through a gap around the frame, and may emerge at a light fitting nearby. You can reduce the problem without ever touching the lid.
- Keep the landing door closed if the layout allows it.
- Do not stand on a chair or ladder beneath the hatch.
- Keep the area under the hatch clear of anything that might fall.
- If you have a pull-down ladder, leave it exactly as it is.
- Move beds, cots and favourite chairs away from directly below the hatch.
If wasps are visible around the hatch frame, avoid the area altogether, and use another route through the house.
Think also about the ceiling around the hatch. If there is a visible gap between the frame and the plaster, or a stain, note it and mention it on the call. It gives the technician an idea of how wasps might be entering the house, and it is information you can supply without going close.
Do not tape or stuff the gaps
It may seem sensible to seal the edge of the hatch with tape or a towel. Resist this. Pressing on the hatch frame, or pushing material against it, can disturb the wasps behind it. A blocked route may also push them towards a different gap, such as a light fitting or a loose section of ceiling.
What you can safely do is position a rolled towel along the bottom of a bedroom or landing door, so that any wasp which does get into the house is contained in that area. Do this without going near the hatch, and only if you are able to reach the door from the safe side.
A rolled towel at the foot of the door is, in effect, an inexpensive way of containing a problem rather than solving it. It will not stop the nest, but it limits where stray wasps can go, and it means you can use the rest of the house without constant worry.
Do not hold the door shut with your body or lean against it. If wasps are heading for the door, step away and let them find the window.
What the exit holes are doing
Outside the house, wasps are probably using a small opening at the roof edge, a gap under a tile or a vent. That is their way in and out. Do not block it. A wasp that cannot leave by its usual exit has to find another, and the new exit may be inside your home.
If you can see the outside entrance from a safe place, note where it is. The technician is more likely to work from the outside and from the hatch, depending on where the nest sits, and your note saves time.
Do not spray into the hole, and do not stand beside it.
When the technician arrives
The price is confirmed on the phone before the visit: a fixed £70 per nest, £30 extra for an additional nest on the same property, no call-out charge. If the loft is awkward to reach and special access equipment is needed, the price might be more. You will hear this first, and nothing is done until you agree.
Show the technician the hatch, tell them what you have seen and heard, and then leave them to it. The work is carried out by someone fully insured and qualified, so there is no need for you to be involved or to hold the ladder.
Clear a path to the hatch beforehand, without opening it. Remove any pictures hanging on the landing walls and any loose rugs, so there is a clean route up.
Where several people live in the house, agree who will speak to the technician. One person at the foot of the stairs with the facts is better than three people giving different versions. They should know where the hatch is, how the ladder works, and what you have seen in the days before the call.
Afterwards and booking
When the work is done, ask the technician whether you should leave the hatch closed for a short while, and whether the empty nest can be taken down. Some wasps may appear on the landing in the next few days, and these can be swept up with gloves, a brush and a bag.
For booking, 07852 111 437 is the number to ring, and the online form or contact page do the same job. Same-day service is offered, and ringing early gives you the best chance. Evening and weekend visits are available, and domestic and commercial properties are both covered.
A final point on timing. The nest does not become more manageable if you wait, and a household that keeps the hatch shut for a long time starts to forget why. Once you have booked, remind everybody, and put a note on the landing wall if you have young children.
Wasps on your property in Hemel Hempstead?
Fixed price £70 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.