Why Are Wasps Flying Into Your Boreham Home? Common Causes and Solutions

Wasps are drawn to what we eat and drink as much as to where they nest, so the kitchen is often where the problem first shows itself.

The kitchen is usually where it begins

Many householders first meet wasps at the kitchen window. That is no coincidence. Adult wasps feed on sugary liquids, while the colony’s grubs are fed on protein, so a home that smells of jam, juice, fizzy drinks or cooking meat is advertising a meal to every worker flying past.

The trouble is that an open window is an invitation with very little effort required. A wasp need only follow the scent a short way, and the opening does the rest. Once it is inside, it will investigate worktops, the fruit bowl, the pedal bin and any plate left near the sink.

This does not mean there is a nest in your house. It often means that a nest somewhere in the surrounding gardens or roofs has workers foraging along your street, and your kitchen has become one of their stops.

It helps to remember that a wasp indoors is not trying to move in. It is trying to feed, and it will try several rooms before it works out that the way back out is the way it came. That is why you may find one at the kitchen window, one at the lounge window and one on the stairs within a short space of time, even though all of them entered through a single door.

Common attractions to deal with first

Before assuming the worst, go round the kitchen and the rooms next to it with a critical eye. Wasps are opportunists, and removing the reward is often enough to end the visits.

• Cans and bottles of sweet drink left on the side, particularly if they have been opened.
• Fruit that is ripening or going soft, especially in a bowl by the window.
• Jam, honey and syrup jars with sticky rims or lids.
• Dirty cups, ice-cream bowls and plates stacked beside the sink.
• Pet food bowls left out for long periods.
• An uncovered bin or recycling box holding unrinsed drinks containers.

Rinse containers before they go in the recycling, wipe worktops with warm water, and keep a lid on anything sweet. You may find that the wasps lose interest within a day or two.

When the food is not the reason

If you have cleared everything away and wasps are still arriving, think again. Wasps that are coming for food will hover near it and will leave when it is covered. Wasps that keep coming despite a clean kitchen are heading for a gap, not a snack.

Look at where they are flying. If they appear from behind a cupboard, around a window frame, out of an extractor opening or from a gap where a pipe passes through the wall, the nest may be very close, and may even be inside the building fabric. Hearing a low rustle or buzz in the wall at the same spot is a strong clue.

Keep your distance and resist the urge to investigate with a torch or a broom handle. Wasps defend the nest entrance, and the colony’s numbers by midsummer can reach thousands.

A useful test is to leave the kitchen spotless for a full day with the windows shut. If a wasp still appears inside, it has entered some other way, and the next job is to work out which.

Practical changes for the season

From late April, when queens begin to search for nest sites, it helps to keep the kitchen quiet. The colony grows through the summer and reaches its peak around August, which is also when demand for sugar is highest.

Fitting a fine mesh screen over a window you like to keep open is a useful long-term habit. Take drinks outdoors in a covered cup rather than leaving open glasses on the garden table, and clear plates promptly after eating outside. These small habits cut the number of workers that learn that your house is a good place to visit.

If one does get in, stay calm, avoid flapping, and guide it back towards the open window. A wasp that is left alone is less likely to sting.

Keeping wasps out without turning the house into a fortress

A few inexpensive habits make a real difference. Keep the bin lid shut and rinse any bottles that held sweet drinks before they go in the recycling. Cover plates and glasses when eating outside, and carry food indoors promptly. If you have a compost caddy, empty it regularly, because fruit peelings soften and ferment quickly in summer heat.

Think about the way you ventilate. On hot days people tend to prop open the back door, and a doorway with a food smell drifting out of it is a very efficient lure. A fine mesh screen or a bead curtain gives you the breeze without the visitors. Keep an eye on the gaps around windows too, since an old, shrunken seal can let in a determined insect.

None of this will remove a nest, but it takes away the incentive for scouts to wander indoors, and it leaves you with a clearer idea of what is happening when wasps still turn up.

If you decide to call for help

Persistent arrivals from a fixed point are the sign to ask for professional help. Wasp Nest Removal Essex deals with wasp nests for homes and businesses, is fully insured, and works seven days a week, with same-day service offered.

Treatment is a fixed £90 per nest and one visit is guaranteed. A second nest at the same property costs £35 extra. For a quote or to arrange a visit in Boreham, ring 01245 327274 or use the booking form on the contact page.

Let the technician know if anyone at home is allergic to wasp stings, so that the booking can be given priority. You can also ask whether the empty nest can be removed afterwards.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Boreham