How Long Does Professional Wasp Nest Treatment Take in Billericay?

With children, dogs and cats about, the practical question is less how long the technician takes and more where everyone should be and for how long.

The household is the real timetable

A visit that takes a short time for the technician can feel long if you have toddlers in the house and a dog that wants to be out. The question to settle in advance is where everyone will be and how you will keep them there.

Treatment is a fixed £90 per nest, and the day can be planned around the household rather than the other way round. Same-day service is offered, so there may be a choice of when.

Families often find the nest at an inconvenient moment, such as the first week of the school holidays. The temptation is to delay in the hope it will go away, but the colony only grows, and a nest above the back door is a daily hazard.

Booking early in the day gives you the best chance of same-day service and an uninterrupted afternoon.

Parents often worry about the visit disrupting a nap or an evening routine. A short, planned visit usually causes less disruption than a day of wasps in the garden.

Before the visit

A little forethought helps.

• Bring children and pets into a room on the opposite side of the house.
• Close windows and doors on the nest side.
• Explain to children, in simple words, that there is a wasp nest and the garden is out of bounds.
• Put dogs on a lead or in a room before the technician comes through the gate.

If anyone in the family is allergic to wasp stings, say so when you book.

It is often easiest to prepare an indoor activity box in advance: colouring, a film, a baking session. It gives the children something to do while you keep the garden closed. Pets can have their favourite chew inside.

If the nest is near a window children use, close the curtains so they are not tempted to watch too closely.

The hours after

Wasps that were away return to the treated nest over the next hours, and some hang about in the garden for a time. For a family, this is the period to keep outdoor play off the menu.

Pets are curious about slow, buzzing insects and will snap at them. Keep cats in and dogs on a lead for toilet breaks, away from the nest.

Children are curious and quick, and a wasp nest is exactly the kind of thing they want to see. It helps to give them a job, such as watching from the kitchen window, and to explain why no one is going outside. A calm adult makes a calm child.

The quiet usually comes within a day or two, but everyone in the household should follow the same rule until then.

For many families the hardest part is the lack of certainty about the exact time of the visit. Ask when you book for a rough window, and plan the nap, the meal and the school run around it as far as you can. A flexible plan is a calm one.

If you need to go out, the garden gate should be shut and a note left for any visitors, such as a delivery driver, telling them not to go round the back.

Keeping the garden calm

Garden toys, paddling pools and snacks all draw wasps. It is worth clearing the lawn and patio.

• Bring in sweet drinks, ice lollies and fruit.
• Cover sandpits and paddling pools.
• Put pet food bowls inside, as meat and sweet food attract wasps.
• Leave washing off the line on the nest side.

Within a day or two, activity usually fades and normal use of the garden can resume, but check from a distance first.

Check the buggy, scooters and bikes: if any are parked near the nest, ask the technician whether they can be moved safely. If not, leave them until later.

A sleeping baby in a pram in the garden should be taken indoors well before the visit.

If someone is stung

Stings happen even with care. Wash the area, remove the sting if visible, and hold a cold pack to it. Comfort the child and watch for any change over the following hours.

Swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheeze or difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash call for 999. Pets that are stung should be seen by a vet if they seem unwell.

Do not assume pets understand the danger. Dogs may chase wasps; cats may bat at them. If a pet is stung, particularly around the face or mouth, or seems unwell afterwards, call your vet.

A wasp sting in a pet can cause swelling, and a quick check is better than waiting.

Getting back to normal

Once you have seen activity die away, you can reopen the garden. If wasps are still busy after a day or two, tell the business. “1 visit guaranteed” is the wording on the price graphic, and it is the reason to report a problem promptly.

You can book on 01245 327274, or via the online booking form on the contact page. The business is open seven days a week, offers same-day service, works on domestic and commercial properties and is fully insured. An additional nest on the same property is £35 each.

Once things have settled, talk to the children about what to do if they see a wasp nest in future: tell a grown-up, keep away, and do not throw anything. It is a good habit to learn.

If you have a nest you did not notice until now, keep a look out for a second at the same time of year.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Billericay