Wasp Nest in Your Garden Shed? Safe Treatment Options in Wigmore
Online tips for getting rid of a nest can be dangerous. This guide looks at the most common DIY ideas and why leaving the nest alone is the safer course.
The temptation to do it yourself
A wasp nest looks like a simple problem. It sits in one place, you can see where the wasps go in, and a few household items are to hand. Online forums and well-meaning neighbours offer plenty of advice. Unfortunately a lot of it makes things worse.
This applies to anyone, including people in Wigmore who are thinking about trying something at the weekend. The following are the most common ideas and the reasons to avoid them.
Online advice can look convincing, particularly when it comes with a video of someone apparently succeeding. What you do not see is the many cases that go wrong.
The most important thing is to make a decision with a clear head. Wasps are best dealt with calmly, and a rushed attempt after being stung is likely to go wrong.
Smoke and fire
Lighting a fire, burning paper or using a smoker near a shed is dangerous. A timber building can catch fire in seconds, and the wasps will be angry rather than gone. Never use flame near the nest, especially if it is near fuel, gas bottles, paint or garden chemicals.
A smoking pot, a rag with a liquid on it or a flame used for a few seconds could set fire to a dry timber shed, particularly in summer when the wood is brittle.
Fire is also a risk for your neighbours. A shed fire can spread to a fence, a hedge and then to other properties, and the consequences may reach well beyond the wasp nest.
A shed full of petrol cans, paint, gas bottles or garden chemicals is not a place for flame or fumes. Even a small spark could have serious consequences.
Petrol and other liquids
Pouring petrol, paraffin or other liquids into a hole is dangerous, illegal in many circumstances and harmful to the soil and nearby plants. It also does not reliably deal with the colony. Do not use fuel or household chemicals for this purpose.
Hosing the nest or pouring water on it has the same problem. It is unlikely to do any good and is likely to cause an aggressive response.
Chemicals poured into the ground can wash into drains and affect pets, wildlife and plants. In a garden with children or animals, this risk is a good reason to leave the job to the technician.
In some cases the nest may belong in a protected category, such as a bee colony. Using chemicals or fire on a beehive is harmful and unnecessary. If you are not sure what you have, ask first.
Some people also worry that they are letting a problem grow by not acting at once. A short delay while you arrange a professional visit is not a risk compared with an attempt that goes wrong.
Sprays, blocking and knocking down
A shop-bought spray used from too short a distance can leave you in the line of flight. If the nest is not affected, or only partly, the wasps may swarm. Blocking the entrance forces them to chew through or find another exit, sometimes into the building. Knocking a nest down with a pole releases the colony in one go.
The risks are real: stings, falls from a ladder, damage to the shed and the chance of a nest becoming a bigger problem than before. Anyone with an allergy, and anyone who cannot get away quickly, is at greater risk.
Another common idea is to cover the nest with a bag or bucket. The wasps simply chew their way out or find another exit, and you are left standing close to an angry colony.
A hosepipe or bucket of water is another idea that does not work. A nest in a roof or wall cannot be reached, and one in the ground only becomes angrier.
If you have tried something already and wasps are now more agitated, stay indoors for a while. Give the area time to settle before you look again from a distance.
What a professional visit changes
Professional treatment starts with a conversation. You describe the nest, hear the price and decide. A single nest is £70 and each extra nest at the property is £30, with no call-out charge. The figure might be higher only if the nest needs special access equipment, and you will be told before anything is booked.
The technician is fully insured and qualified, works seven days a week and can offer same-day service, as well as evening and weekend visits. Call 07852 111 437, or complete the online booking form. No work is done unless you have agreed.
The cost of calling someone is modest compared with the cost of repairs, medical attention or a fire. Weigh the risks and then decide.
If you have an allergy at home, the case for professional help is stronger still. Mention it when you book so that the booking can be prioritised.
What you can safely do
There are useful things to do yourself: stay away, keep others away, take photos from a distance, note where the nest is and make the call. Cover food and bins to reduce the number of wasps around the garden, and close the shed door if you can do so without approaching.
Once the nest has been treated, you can carry out the tidying jobs: clear the shed, seal gaps and put a spring check in the calendar.
Once the area is clear, put your effort into prevention. Tidy the shed, repair gaps and keep an eye on the building each spring.
Being patient is part of the plan. The wasps will not go away tomorrow, but a calm approach now will leave you with a shed you can use again, rather than a sting and a nest that is still there.
Wasps on your property in Wigmore?
Fixed price £70 per nest, no call-out charge, same-day service available.