Found a Wasp Nest in Your Loft in Quendon? Here's What to Do

Building work changes a roof, and not always in ways that are noticed, so a nest that appears soon afterwards is more common than people expect.

Why work on the roof can invite wasps

Roofs are tight until someone works on them. A new extension, a re-felted section, replaced tiles, a fitted skylight or a new boiler flue can all leave small gaps where materials meet. The builders may have left perfectly good work, but over a season or two the joins move and open slightly.

A fresh patch of timber also attracts wasps looking for wood to chew. New fascia boards, rafters or fencing can be a source of nest material.

None of this is a criticism of builders. It is simply that any change to a roof creates edges, and edges are where wasps look.

Some homeowners find that nests appear in the first summer after work, when the new materials have not settled. That is worth knowing, because it points to the new work as the likely entrance, and gives the builder something to look at.

Another point is that scaffolding can help wasps. Poles and boards leave gaps around the eaves while they are up, and when they come down the building can be left with small holes where ties were fixed. Check these places in the weeks after the scaffold is removed.

Places to check

• The junction between an extension roof and the original wall.
• Around skylights and roof windows.
• The new fascia, soffit and guttering line.
• Gaps where cables, pipes and flues pass through the roof.
• Ventilation openings that were moved or added.
• Gaps where scaffolding or ties were removed.

Look from the ground with binoculars. Do not use a ladder. If you can, note where wasps enter, and photograph it from a distance.

Look too at anything fixed to the roof edge in the last year, such as a satellite dish, solar panel fixings, a security light or a new vent. Each has holes drilled through the structure, and each hole needs to be sealed properly.

Do not forget the chimney area. Flashing round a stack can lift over time, and the gap behind it leads straight into the roof space.

Telling your builder

If a nest appears soon after work was done, it can be helpful to let your builder know, since the gap may relate to their work. What follows depends on the terms of the job and any guarantee, and we cannot advise on that. Keep your paperwork, photographs and the dates of the work.

The nest should be treated first. Do not ask anyone to carry out repairs near live wasps, and do not allow tradespeople into the loft until the nest is dealt with.

After the treatment, ask the builder to look at the gap. Having the technician's description of the entrance may help.

If you are planning more work, tell your builder about the nest, so they know to wait. Pass on the technician's notes about where the entrance was.

Staying safe in the meantime

Leave the hatch shut and keep out of the roof space. Close doors to affected rooms. Do not seal the gap while wasps are inside. If tradespeople are due, tell them about the wasps and ask them to wait.

If you have scaffolding up, tell the workers not to climb near the gap. A scaffold can bring people within reach of the entrance, and a nest on the wall is a hazard for those working at height.

Anyone who is stung should have the spot washed with soap and water, the sting taken out if it shows and a cold pack applied. Call 999 without delay if there is swelling of the face, lips or throat, a wheeze, breathlessness, dizziness or a widespread rash.

Keep an eye on any ladders or scaffolds left in place. A ladder leaning against a wall near the entrance can be a hazard if wasps are active. Take it down, or ask the workers to do so, only when it is safe.

If you are the one doing the work, as a keen DIYer, the same applies. Stop if you see wasps, step down calmly and leave the area. Do not carry on working near a nest.

Booking

Wasp Nest Removal Essex works seven days a week and offers same-day service, covering Quendon and surrounding villages, for homes and commercial premises. Treating a nest costs a fixed £90 and one visit is guaranteed. A further nest at the same address is £35 for the additional nest.

Ring 01245 327274 or send a booking through the contact page form. Mention what work has been done and when. Please say if anyone at home has a wasp sting allergy when booking, so it can be prioritised.

Photographs of recent work are helpful. If you have pictures from before and after, share them with the technician, who may be able to see where gaps have opened.

It helps to have a rough idea of which section of roof was worked on. Pass on that detail, and the technician can look there first.

Afterwards

Once wasps have gone, sweep up dead ones, wearing shoes, and ask the technician whether the empty nest can be taken down. Have the gap sealed, and ask whoever does the work to check the neighbouring joins.

Look at the new work again each April. Newly built roofs settle, and the first few years are when gaps are most likely to show.

It is also a good moment to ask your builder about ventilation, because a roof void needs air, and the right mesh keeps wasps out without blocking airflow.

If your house has had an extension in recent years, walk round the join between old and new once a year, looking for cracks and gaps. It is a five-minute job that can save a lot of trouble.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Quendon