Wasps Around Your Guttering and Fascias? How to Find the Nest in Stansted Mountfitchet

Autumn and winter repairs sometimes turn up the papery remains of a summer nest, and knowing what to do with it, and with the gap behind it, saves next year’s trouble.

What an old nest looks like

A wasp nest is made of grey or brown paper, formed from chewed wood fibre, in layers around rows of small cells. After the colony dies in autumn, the structure is left behind, brittle and empty. You may find it when a fascia board is taken off, when a soffit panel is lifted or when a loft is cleared in winter.

It can be a surprise, particularly if no one noticed wasps in the summer. A nest can be hidden for the whole season and only discovered when the cavity is opened up. Finding one does not mean a problem now. It means there was one, and the gap that suited it is probably still open.

Some people keep the nest as a curiosity, but it is better to dispose of it, as the cavity needs to be clean before the repair is done.

The size of an old nest tells you something about the summer just gone. A large one in a cavity suggests a busy colony that went unnoticed, while a small one may have been abandoned early. Neither is a cause for alarm, but both are a prompt to look at the building properly.

Is it safe to handle?

In deep winter, an old nest should be empty. Wasp colonies die back in autumn, and old nests are not reused. Even so, treat it with care. Do not assume that a nest found in autumn is dead, since late-season wasps can linger on warm days. Stay back and look before touching, and check that no wasps are going in or out.

If the nest is clearly inactive, it can be removed with gloves and put in a bag. If you are unsure, or if the nest is large or hard to reach, ask a professional. When you book a visit, you can also ask whether the empty nest can be taken down.

Allergy matters here too. Anyone with a known wasp allergy should leave the removal to someone else and speak to their GP about general care.

Wear gloves and eye protection if you do handle it, and work in daylight. Do not shake the nest over your head or let children play with it. Put it in a bag and in the household waste.

Why the gap matters more than the nest

The old nest is rubbish. The gap is the issue. A founding wasp emerging in late April, depending on the weather, looks for a sheltered cavity, and an opening that was good enough last year is good enough again. Sometimes a wasp chooses the very same spot. So finding a nest during repairs is a useful warning, not a reason to panic.

Close the gap while the roofline is open. Replace damaged timber, re-fix boards tightly against the wall, seal joints and fit fine mesh to any vents.

A sound repair now saves a repeat problem in the summer. Take a few photographs before and after.

Look at where the nest was positioned relative to the wall. If it sat against the inside of the fascia, the gap was probably at the board. If it was higher up, the soffit or the top of the wall may be the weak point.

Making the repair last

While the work is under way, ask the builder to check the length of the roofline for similar weaknesses. A joint that has opened in one place often has a twin elsewhere. Make sure corner joints are tight, end caps are fixed and soffit panels are secure.

• Remove the old nest and any debris from the cavity.
• Replace rotted timber instead of painting over it.
• Seal joints and gaps around fittings.
• Mesh any ventilation openings.
• Photograph the finished work.

Ask the builder to tell you what they find, and keep any notes. They are useful if you sell the house or let it later.

Late autumn is an excellent time for this work, but any dry, mild day through winter will do. Choose someone with the right access equipment, since a repair at height is a risk in itself.

If wasps are found in the cavity

If you open a board in autumn and find live wasps, stop. Replace what you can, step back and treat it as an active nest. A technician covering Stansted Mountfitchet will deal with the colony at its source, using suitable access equipment and protective clothing, and then the repair can continue.

If anyone is stung, wash the area, remove any visible sting and use a cold pack. Treat as an emergency and call 999 for any swelling of the face, lips or throat, wheezing or breathlessness, dizziness or a widespread rash.

A cavity that smells damp or shows dark staining should be dried and treated before being closed up, so ask your builder for advice on that.

Do not be tempted to carry on with the repair if wasps are flying in the cavity, even in October. Treat it as a live nest.

Cost and booking

If you find an active nest, treatment is a fixed £90 per nest with one visit guaranteed. A further nest on the same property costs £35 more. Someone is on hand seven days a week, and same-day visits are offered. If you want to go ahead, call 01245 327274 or send the form on the contact page and describe what you have seen.

In spring, glance at the repaired section each week. A tight repair will usually keep wasps out, but an early look costs nothing.

Put a reminder in the calendar for April to look at the repaired section. Wasps start building from late April, depending on the weather.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Stansted Mountfitchet