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When Is Wasp Season in Steeple Bumpstead?
Hot weather means open windows, and open windows mean visitors, so a few simple habits keep wasps outside while the house stays airy.
The hot-weather dilemma
When the summer is warm, nobody wants to shut every window. You want airflow, and you want the back door open to the garden. That is when wasps wander in. A household in Steeple Bumpstead can keep the breeze and still reduce the number of insect visitors by following the calendar and a few straightforward habits.
The calendar gives a useful guide. In spring there is little to worry about, in high summer you need screens and careful food handling, and in autumn the pressure fades.
Spring: check the house first
Before windows are left open, inspect the building. Wasps start building from late April, depending on the weather, and any gaps or damaged screens are potential routes. Look at frames, seals, vents and the area around pipes and cables.
Fit fly screens to windows and doors that you plan to leave open. A mesh screen stops most wasps, and it is easy to add before the summer starts. Check that existing screens have no tears and fit tightly in the frame.
If you cannot fit screens everywhere, prioritise bedrooms, kitchens and the room with the main door to the garden. A magnetic door screen is quick to fit and take down. Check that it closes properly and that there are no gaps at the bottom.
June and July: placement of the open window
If you must have windows open, choose them with care. A window directly below the eaves, next to a hedge or above a bin is more likely to see visitors than one on the opposite side of the house. Open windows on the shaded side, and keep the sunny side closed in the afternoon, when wasps are most active.
- Do not leave fruit bowls or sweet drinks next to an open window.
- Keep the kitchen window closed while cooking with fruit or sugar.
- Close the window when you leave a room with food on the table.
If a wasp comes in, remain calm. Open the window wider and let it leave.
Think about light as well. Wasps are drawn to bright lights, so a lamp near an open window in the late afternoon can pull them in. Position lamps away from the window, and draw curtains when lights are on.
When you air a room, do it in short bursts rather than leaving the window open all day. A fifteen-minute burst of fresh air is often enough, and it reduces the chance of a wasp wandering in.
Before bed, glance round the room for any wasp that has settled on a wall or curtain, and let it out through the window rather than leaving it overnight.
August: a nest on the window side
If wasps keep arriving through the same window, look outside. A nest at the roof edge or in the wall near that window can send a steady stream of wasps into the room. By August the colony may hold from 2,000 to 10,000 or more wasps, and some will explore any open gap.
Close that window, keep the curtains drawn, and watch the outside from a distance. Do not hang out of the window to look. Move beds or chairs away from the wall if you are using the room.
If you work from home, keep your desk away from the window that gets visitors. A wasp on the screen during a call is a distraction, and swatting at one is likely to end badly. Move to another room until the nest has been dealt with.
Check pet flaps and cat doors too. A wasp can follow an animal in, and a flap that is propped open on a warm day is as good as an open window.
Late summer: sweet smells
Later in the summer wasps appear to be drawn to sugar. Sticky jars, fruit, jam sandwiches and drinks all attract them. Wipe worktops, put food away and take the rubbish out in a closed bag. Empty bins can still smell sweet, so wash them from time to time.
If you have a baby or small child, keep a screen on their bedroom window and check the room before they sleep.
Look at washing as well. Clothes hung out to dry can carry a trapped wasp in a fold. Shake items out before you bring them in, particularly towels and sheets.
If screens are not an option because of the style of window, consider a lightweight net curtain that can be closed over the opening on warm days. It lets air through and keeps most wasps out.
When the open window is not the cause
If you have closed windows, fitted screens and tidied up, but wasps still appear indoors, they may be coming from a nest in the building. Book a treatment rather than living with a blocked window all summer. Tell the booking team which rooms are affected, which side of the house they face and how long it has been happening.
Do not seal gaps while wasps are using them, since this may drive them further into the house.
The booking team will also want to know whether wasps are coming into one room or several, since that points to the likely position of the nest in the building.
A visit from Wasp Nest Removal Essex is priced at £90 per nest with one visit guaranteed, and a second or third nest on the property is an extra £35 each. The service is open to homeowners and to commercial sites, fully insured, trading seven days a week and offering same-day service.
The number to use is 01245 327274 or request a visit through the online form on the contact page. Before the visit is fixed, raise the question of taking the empty nest down.
Wasps on your property in Steeple Bumpstead?
Fixed price £90 per nest, same-day service available.