Wasp Control for Great Notley Restaurants, Pubs and Commercial Premises

A modern office has many windows, a terrace or bench area and a kitchenette, and each gives wasps a way in that staff can help close.

The lunch hour problem

When the weather is good, staff eat outside. A bench by the car park or a patio by the entrance becomes the lunch spot, and sandwiches, fruit and cans of drink appear on every table. Wasps arrive within minutes. By August, some staff stop using the area altogether.

Meanwhile, the open windows that make the office pleasant also admit wasps. A person at a desk with a wasp circling their monitor is not at their most productive, and the person who tries to swat it may get stung.

The effect on morale is real. Staff who are stung or frightened by wasps often avoid the outdoor area for the whole summer, losing a pleasant break. Dealing with the problem restores it.

Make the outdoor area less attractive

You can reduce the problem without banning lunch outdoors. Try:

• placing bins with lids close to the benches, and emptying them daily
• asking staff to take cans, cups and wrappers back to the bin straight away
• wiping tables after use
• keeping fruit and sweet drinks covered while eating
• moving seating away from the nearest hedge, wall or bank if wasps seem to come from there

If the benches are close to a nest, move them or take them out of use until treatment is done.

Smokers’ shelters deserve a special mention. Cans, cups and sugary drinks accumulate there, and the shelter is usually next to the building where roof edges and gaps give wasps places to nest. A bin and a regular clean make a difference.

If you are the facilities manager, a weekly check of the benches and bins during summer is a small commitment with a large effect.

Windows, vents and meeting rooms

Offices with trickle vents, louvres and window blinds offer wasps many small entrances. If you notice wasps repeatedly in one meeting room or at one window, a nest may be close, perhaps in the roof edge, a gap in cladding or a cavity above the window.

Keep that window closed, particularly in the afternoon sun. Do not use a spray in the room. Sprays do nothing about a nest, and the smell is unpleasant in an enclosed space.

If a wasp enters a room, the calmest option is to open a window wide, move away and let it leave. Waving a folder around increases the chance of a sting.

In a shared building with open-plan floors, a single wasp can become a drama. Agree a calm approach with the team: no swatting, no shouting, and one person who deals with it by opening a window or guiding the wasp out with a cup and a card, if they are comfortable doing so. If someone is nervous, they should step away.

Kitchenettes and vending machines

The kitchenette is a magnet for the same reasons as everywhere else: sugar, spilled coffee and food waste. Empty the bin each day, wipe the counter and keep sweet snacks in closed containers. Vending machines that drip or are placed near an outside door can draw wasps, so check the area around them.

If wasps are in the kitchenette and you cannot find a reason, mention it to the technician. A nest in the cavity wall behind it would explain a lot.

Cleaners should know that bins in the kitchenette must be emptied and rinsed at the end of each day during the warmer months, and that sticky spills on the floor and fridge door need wiping.

Booking treatment

Domestic and commercial wasp nest work is what Wasp Nest Removal Essex does. The work is fully insured, and the company is open seven days a week with same-day service on offer. The price for a nest is a fixed £90 and one visit is guaranteed. A second nest on the same property costs £35 extra.

Bookings are taken on 01245 327274 or complete the online booking form on the contact page. Say where the nest appears to be, which areas of the building are affected and how the technician will get access. If anyone in the office is allergic to wasp stings, tell the office at booking so that the visit can be prioritised.

If the nest is on a part of the building shared with other occupiers, tell the managing agent and the neighbours, and check your lease for who arranges treatment.

Agree who will be on site for the visit, since an office that is empty on a given day can leave the technician unable to reach the spot. Leave a name and number of a contact at the property.

Staff wellbeing and first aid

Remind staff who the first aider is and where the kit is kept. For most stings the first steps are simple: rinse the spot, take out the sting if it is visible and hold a cold pack against it. Ring 999 at once for dizziness, a widespread rash, swelling of the face, lips or throat or wheezing or difficulty breathing. People who know they are allergic should talk to their GP.

Wasps begin building from late April, depending on the weather, and numbers peak in August. For a workplace in Great Notley or anywhere else, a spring check of the exterior, including the roof edge, canopies and planting, avoids a lot of fuss when the benches fill up in summer.

One last suggestion: add the outside check to the monthly facilities checklist rather than leaving it to memory. A line reading "look at roof edges, benches, bins and planting for wasp activity" costs nothing and gets done.

If you ever see insects that look like bees rather than wasps, contact a local beekeeper or the relevant bee organisation. The technician treats wasps only.

Visitors to the office, from clients to couriers, will also appreciate being told which entrance to use while a nest is being dealt with. A friendly sentence at reception does the job.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Great Notley