How to Tell If You Have an Active Wasp Nest on Your Arkesden Property

Children’s play equipment is hollow, sheltered and often left alone for weeks, and it sits exactly where small children spend their time.

Why play equipment attracts wasps

Garden play equipment is made of plastic, timber and metal tubing, with many spaces underneath, inside and behind. A plastic slide has a hollow body. A playhouse has a roof and walls with gaps. A sandpit lid covers a dark, sheltered space. A climbing frame with a platform has a hollow beneath. These are rarely moved and, in the early season, are not much used.

For a queen, they are as good as any shed. Because children use them, the risk of a sting is much higher than with a nest in a hedge.

Plastic play houses are particularly attractive since they trap heat and have openings for windows and doors. Timber climbing frames weather and open up cracks. Both can be fine for years and then, one spring, be chosen by a queen. There is nothing you did wrong; it is the nature of a sheltered hollow.

Large trampolines, paddling pool covers, bouncy castles in storage and foldaway goals can also host nests in their folds. If it is left alone for weeks, it is a candidate.

Cheap plastic items such as tunnels, ball pits and play tents are often stored in a shed over winter, and wasps can colonise the shed or the items themselves. Check them as you bring them out, and shake nothing until you have looked.

Checking before play

From late April, make it a habit to check play equipment before the children use it. A quick look from a few paces is enough. Look at the underside of platforms, gaps in roofs, the openings of tubes and the edges of lids.

• Wasps entering or leaving any opening.
• A hum from inside a slide, tunnel or playhouse.
• Grey flakes or pale scrape marks on timber.
• Dead wasps on the ground beneath.

Do the check at a warm time of day, when wasps are active, so that you are not misled by a quiet morning.

Involve older children in the check, and make it a routine. A ten-second look at the underside before climbing is no hardship, and children who learn to look before they leap are safer around many hazards. Teach them to recognise a gap with wasps going in and to back away rather than run or shout.

For toddlers, adults need to do the checking. Small children cannot be expected to notice, and they are more likely to put hands and faces close to openings.

What to do if you find signs

Move children away calmly, without alarming them, and keep everyone off the equipment. Do not try to move it, tip it or clean it. A piece of equipment that is moved may release a swarm. Put a clear boundary around it.

Explain to the children in simple terms that the wasps have made a home there and a grown-up is arranging for it to be dealt with. Give them something else to do in the meantime, away from the area, and keep an eye on visiting children who may not know.

If equipment is on a school, nursery or community site, the person in charge needs to know straight away. Whoever manages the site will have their own procedures and obligations, which we cannot advise on, so check with the organisation concerned. What we can do is deal with the nest once we are asked.

For a home garden, put a temporary barrier around the equipment, such as a row of plant pots set out at a distance, so that children are reminded not to approach. Remove anything attractive from the area, including toys that may tempt a child to retrieve them.

Sandpits, water trays and sweet treats

Water play and sticky snacks attract wasps. A paddling pool, a water tray or a sandpit with a spilled drink can draw foragers. This is not the same as a nest, but together with a nest nearby it increases the risk. Keep food and drink away from play areas, and bring sticky items inside.

Cover sandpits when not in use. A lid that fits tightly keeps out cats, rain and wasps, and the sand remains clean. Lift the lid slowly, and look first for any wasps before children play.

Birthday parties and playdates bring extra children into the garden, and visiting children do not know the rules. Before any gathering, spend a couple of minutes checking the equipment, and tell the other parents if there is a concern. A short word beforehand is better than a distressed child afterwards.

After the nest has been treated

Once the technician has dealt with the nest, ask when the equipment can be used again. Wasps may linger near the entrance for a short time, so wait for advice before letting children back. Ask whether the empty nest can be taken down, and whether anything needs cleaning.

Consider whether the equipment can be moved to a different place, or repaired, to make it less attractive next spring. Check it in late April each year.

It is worth planning for next year. Some people store equipment in a shed or garage over winter, and bring it out in spring. Check it from outside before moving it, and give it a good look once it is out. Cover sandpits and paddling pools when not in use, and put loose items away at the end of each day so that fewer hollows are left open.

Booking

Wasp Nest Removal Essex treats nests for a fixed £90 only, and an additional nest on the same property is £35 only. Our work is fully insured, and one visit is guaranteed. Our technician covers Arkesden and the surrounding villages, with same-day service seven days a week for domestic and commercial customers.

Contact us on 01245 327274 or request a visit through the contact page. Tell us what the equipment is and whether anyone is allergic, so that the booking can be prioritised.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Arkesden