Wasp Nests Under Roof Tiles – A Common Problem for Quendon Homes

The first hour after discovering a roof nest is when most mistakes are made, so here is an ordered plan to follow.

The first five minutes

When you spot the nest, stop and take stock. Do not rush toward it or reach for a tool. Move yourself and anyone nearby away from the wall, and walk calmly to a safe distance. Keep children and pets with you.

If a wasp lands on you, stay still or walk slowly away. Do not swat. Get indoors if wasps are following, and close the door.

The urge to deal with it at once is strong, and for most people it is the first mistake. Take the time to step back, because a calm minute now is worth far more than a hasty effort that ends in stings.

It also helps to remind yourself that wasp nests are a routine matter. A trained technician is equipped to handle them. Your task is simply to keep out of the way until it is done.

A quick mental checklist is enough: keep clear, keep calm, keep a note. Everything else follows from those three habits, and none of them requires equipment or experience.

Minutes five to fifteen

Now gather information. From a window or a safe spot in the garden, note where the wasps are going in and roughly how high it is. Write it down.

• Which side of the house, and which part of the roof edge.
• How busy it looks, whether a trickle or a stream.
• Whether any wasps are inside the house.
• Who is at home and whether anyone is allergic.

This is the information the business will ask for.

If you have a phone, take a photograph from a distance. Zoom in on the area, and keep your arms steady. A photograph taken at this stage is useful, though only if you can take it without moving closer.

If your phone has a notes app, use it. Short, plain notes such as 'back of house, above kitchen window, lowest tiles, steady stream, two wasps in kitchen' are exactly right.

Minutes fifteen to thirty

Make the house safe. Close windows and doors on the nest side, bring washing and furniture in if you can do so quickly, and move pets. Shut doors to rooms with wasps and place a towel along the bottom.

Resist the urge to do anything else. Do not seal the gap, spray, climb or look into the loft. Each of these makes matters worse.

Remember that the household is part of the plan. Tell everyone who lives in the house, including lodgers and visitors, what has been found and what the rules are. A note on the door helps.

Think about the route through the house too. If the back door is the only way to the bins, the washing line or the car, decide how it will be used for the next day or so, and who will do it.

If you have a child who is likely to wander out, keep them in sight and explain simply why. If you have a visitor due, ring them with a warning and tell them which door to use.

Minutes thirty to sixty

Ring the business. Ring 01245 327274 or complete the contact page booking form. Describe what you have found, and say if anyone is allergic to stings so that the booking can be prioritised. Ask any questions you have, and agree how the technician will get access.

Tell the household what is happening and what the rules are. If you are a tenant, tell the landlord or agent, and check your agreement about who arranges pest treatment.

It is a good idea to make the call before doing anything else if you can. The business can offer advice on the spot, and the earlier the call, the sooner the visit.

Some people like to have a second pair of ears on the call. If someone else is at home, ask them to listen and make notes, because it is easy to forget details in a first conversation.

Have the address, the house number or name and the postcode ready, together with a good phone number. These small things speed up the booking and help the technician find you without delay.

Price

You pay a fixed £90 for each nest with one visit guaranteed. If the technician finds one more nest on the premises, it is £35 on top. It works seven days a week, offering same-day visits, and the work is fully insured for domestic and commercial customers.

A technician covers Quendon and the surrounding villages.

Same-day service is offered, so the call you make in the first hour may lead to a visit the same day, though no time can be promised.

A written note of the booking, with the day and the name, is a good reference for the household.

Afterwards

Keep away from the area until the technician says it is safe. Ask whether the empty nest can be taken down. A roofer can look at the gap once the nest is inactive.

If you later spot a wasp or two returning to the spot, do not worry. If a steady stream continues, ring again. Write down what happened and when, in case you need to refer to it next year.

The first hour sets the tone for the rest. A calm start leads to a quicker resolution.

Look back at the hour afterwards and note what worked. If a nest appears again, you will be ready.

It is worth telling the neighbours once the visit is complete, in case they are still wary of the area.

A calm first hour will leave you feeling much more in control, and you will have done everything that can reasonably be done before the technician arrives.

Frequently asked questions

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