When Is Wasp Season in Audley End?

Summer staff arrive just as the nests are growing, so a short induction on wasps keeps customers and new colleagues safe.

New staff, peak season

Businesses that take on extra people for the summer have to train them in a hurry. Wasps are rarely on the list. Yet the new starters often work outdoors, serving, cleaning, parking cars or tending grounds, at the very time when the nest population is growing. An outdoor business in Audley End that adds a few minutes about wasps to the induction can prevent incidents.

This is not about worrying staff. It is about giving them the confidence to behave sensibly, which makes them more useful and keeps customers calm.

Before they start: the manager's check

Build the check into the preparation for the season. Wasps start building from late April, depending on the weather, so inspect the premises before the new staff arrive. Look at roof edges, outbuildings, bins, hedges, trees and the ground around work areas.

Note any problem and arrange treatment before the staff start where possible. It is easier to brief staff on a clear site than to ask them to work around a nest.

If you share a site with other businesses, ask whether they have noticed any activity. A nest on a neighbouring unit can affect your staff just as easily. Agree who will contact whom.

Record the date of the inspection and who did it, so that you can show the premises were checked before the season began.

Keep the notes simple and clear: where you looked, what you saw and what you did about it.

What to tell them on day one

Keep it short, clear and calm. The aim is awareness rather than fear. New staff should hear the following points, preferably in writing as well as spoken.

• Wasps are most numerous in August and around sweet food late in summer.
• Do not swat or run; walk away calmly.
• Never touch, spray or block a nest; report it to the manager.
• Keep bins closed and clear tables promptly.
• Tell the manager at once if you are allergic to stings.

Put a short note in the staff area as a reminder, listing the manager's name and the steps. Talk it through at the first team meeting, and invite questions. Many people will want to know what to do if a wasp lands on them, and the answer is to keep calm and move away slowly.

Be clear that nobody is expected to deal with a nest. A conscientious new starter may feel they should do something, so spell out that reporting is the right action.

Where agency or contract staff are used, check that the agency has passed on your guidance, and repeat it on arrival, as messages do not always get through.

Tasks that put staff at risk

Some jobs bring staff close to nests: clearing hedges, emptying bins, cleaning gutters, opening sheds and moving stored furniture. Assign these jobs with the wasp calendar in mind. In July and August, supervise anyone doing them, and make sure they look and listen before starting.

A nest can hold from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps at its peak, and temporary staff may not know the usual hot spots. A map of the site, with any known nest marked, is useful.

Customers should be considered too. Staff who serve food or drinks outdoors need to know how to respond politely if a guest is bothered by a wasp: offer to move them, clear plates quickly and keep covers on dishes. A calm member of staff makes the whole area feel safer.

Make sure the manager's telephone number is on the notice board in the staff area, along with the number of the business that handles treatment, so no one has to hunt for it.

If someone is stung

Make sure at least one person on each shift knows the first aid steps. Wash the area, remove the sting if visible and apply a cold pack, then watch the person for a while. If their face, lips or throat swell, or they wheeze, struggle to breathe, feel dizzy or develop a rash, an emergency call to 999 is needed.

Record the incident in the usual way and ask whether the nest has been located. If you cannot find it, watch for the line of wasps and report it.

Keep a first aid kit stocked with cold packs and wipes, in a place where all shifts can find it. Check it at the start of the season, and again in July.

Where staff live on site or share accommodation, include the living areas in your checks and briefings, because a nest in a roof or wall affects the people sleeping there as well.

Arranging treatment

When a nest is found, brief the whole team, put up a barrier and book. Explain to the booking team the nature of your business, the layout of the site and how the technician will reach the nest. If you are the occupier and not the owner, check your lease or agreement to see who arranges and pays.

At the end of the season, review what worked. Did staff know what to do? Were there incidents? Update the induction for next year, and keep the notes where the next manager can find them.

Each nest treated by Wasp Nest Removal Essex is a flat £90 per nest, covered by one visit guaranteed, and extra nests on the same property are £35 each. Work is carried out for domestic and commercial customers alike, fully insured, open all seven days and able to offer same-day service.

Booking is by telephone on 01245 327274 or choose the online booking form on the contact page instead. Once you are on the phone, you can ask if the empty nest can be removed once treated.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Audley End