Can You Remove a Wasp Nest Yourself? Advice for Alresford Homeowners

A good photograph speeds up a booking and helps the technician prepare, but taking it badly can set off the colony. Here is how to do it from a safe distance.

Why a picture helps

A photograph tells a technician more than a minute of description. It shows the height of the nest, the surface it is on, what is around it and whether there are obstacles such as a conservatory roof, a fence or a tree. It also gives a sense of how busy the nest is, which affects how the visit is planned.

The booking team does not insist on a photo, and you can still book without one. But if you can take one safely, it saves time and avoids misunderstanding. The key word is safely.

A picture also helps you. Looking at it later, on a screen, you can notice details you missed at the time, such as a second entrance or a branch that overhangs a neighbour’s garden.

A photograph can also help you track change. Taking one every few days from the same spot shows whether the nest is growing or the traffic is increasing, which is useful information when you ring.

Distance first

The best photographs are taken with the zoom on a phone from a good distance, ideally from a window or across the garden. Aim for several metres at the very least, and further if you can. If you can see wasps flying in a line, stay out of that line.

Do not walk up to the nest for a better shot. The difference in picture quality is not worth the risk. Phone cameras are good enough to show the entrance and the surrounding surface from far away, and you can crop later.

• Use zoom, not your feet.
• Stay out of the flight path.
• Keep children and pets back while you do it.
• Take a few seconds of video if you can, to show the traffic.

Angles and details

A few shots are better than one. Take a wide view showing the nest in relation to the house, fence or tree. Take a closer one showing the entrance and the nest surface, if the zoom allows. If the nest is high, include something for scale, like a window or a door.

Hold your phone steady and avoid sudden movements. Do not use flash, as bright light and a clicking sound can draw attention, and a photo taken in poor light is rarely clear anyway. Daylight is best, and a bright day without strong glare gives good results.

If you can, take one more photograph from the side. A side view shows how far the nest sticks out from the wall, which tells the technician something about the structure.

Check the picture before you send or describe it. Zoom in on the screen to look for details you could not see by eye, such as a second entrance, damaged render, or a gap in the soffit. If something looks unclear, take another from a slightly different position, still at a safe distance.

What not to do

Avoid leaning over a fence or standing on a chair or ladder to get a better angle. Do not climb to look inside a loft hatch, and do not open the door of a shed to peer in. Do not put your phone on a pole or throw anything to knock a branch aside.

If the nest is indoors, such as in a roof space or wall, do not try to photograph the inside. A picture of the room where wasps are appearing, and a note of where you see them, is more useful and far safer.

Never ask a child to take the picture, however keen they are, and never send someone nearer on your behalf.

The same caution applies indoors. If wasps are appearing at a window, photographing them is fine, but do not pull curtains aside or open the window wide just to get a shot. Keep the room calm and the door closed.

Describing what you cannot photograph

Some nests cannot be photographed safely: ground nests in long grass, nests under thick foliage, nests behind a vent. In those cases, a clear description does the same job. Say where wasps enter and leave, how high it is and what is nearby.

It also helps to mention the time of day wasps seem busiest, whether any have come indoors and whether anyone in the household has been stung. If there is an allergy in the household, mention it first so that the booking can be prioritised.

A rough sketch with the house, the nest and the nearest doors can be as helpful as a photograph, and it takes only a minute to draw.

Sending it and booking

Each wasp nest treated costs a fixed £90 per nest, and the price graphic promises one visit guaranteed. If a second nest turns up on the same property, it is £35 extra whatever its position. The technician working on your nest is fully insured for householders and business owners alike. The business is open seven days a week and same-day appointments are offered.

Book by calling 01245 327274, or through the online booking form on the contact page. Let the booking team know about any allergy to wasp stings so the booking can be prioritised. Also, after the visit, ask if the empty nest can be removed from its position. The technician covers Alresford and nearby villages.

It is worth keeping the photographs afterwards. If wasps return to the same spot next year, an earlier picture can show the technician where to look, and it may help you spot signs of a new nest earlier.

Back up the images somewhere you can find them again, and label them with the date.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Alresford