Wasp Control for Stisted Restaurants, Pubs and Commercial Premises

Farm buildings are full of gaps, old timber and quiet corners, and the people working in them often only notice a nest when it is disturbed.

Barns suit wasps

A farm has an abundance of nest sites: roof timbers, gaps behind cladding, the underside of eaves, stacks of pallets, old machinery, hollow trees and holes in banks. They are warm, dry and often left alone for long periods, which is just what wasps want when they start building in spring.

The people most at risk are those who go into the building for a specific job and are not expecting anything: someone fetching feed, moving bales, opening a door that has not been used for a week.

Old barns are the worst for hidden nests. A building that has not been properly inspected since last year may have a colony established in the roof before anyone has opened the door. If you are about to use one for the first time in months, take a few minutes to watch it from outside first.

Spotting the signs

The best time to look is a warm midday. Stand a few metres back from the building and watch for wasps entering or leaving a gap. Also look for:

• a steady stream at the corner of a barn roof
• wasps coming from a hole in a bank or the base of a wall
• a papery material hanging in a roof void or from a rafter
• wasps hovering at the door of a store
• a distinct buzz when you walk close to a wall

If you see any, keep clear and tell everyone who works there.

Grain stores, lofts and lean-tos often have small openings at the eaves, where a bird or a rat has made a hole in the past. Wasps use such holes and enlarge them from the inside. Do not stuff a gap with rags or foam, because this can send wasps looking for another exit, perhaps into the building.

Feed, grain and waste

Sweet feed, molasses-based products and spilled grain can draw wasps in late summer. Keep lids on bins and bags tightly closed, sweep up spills and avoid leaving open containers in a sunny doorway. Compost and silage waste can be attractive too, so keep them covered and away from the main working area.

Keeping working areas tidy does not remove the nest, but it makes the place less appealing and reduces the number of wasps staff will meet.

Fruit trees, windfalls and compost heaps in the farmyard add to the attraction in late summer. Clear them where you can, and if wasps are plentiful, work early in the day and avoid leaving food or sweet drinks in the cab or barn.

Farm shops, honesty boxes and roadside stalls on the property need the same care as any food business, with produce covered and sticky spills wiped.

Staff, machinery and animals

Vibration from a tractor, a loader or a pressure washer can disturb a nest. Keep machinery away from the suspected spot until it has been treated, and tell contract workers such as shearers, contractors and delivery drivers. Animals can be stung too, so keep them away from the nest area if you can.

Do not try to burn, flood or fill a nest. These actions can provoke the wasps, and in a barn they are also dangerous in other ways. Leave it to a trained technician.

Dogs working on the farm are also at risk. Keep them away from the area, and watch for any signs of distress if they are stung.

Casual or seasonal workers, and visitors collecting produce, are the people least likely to know about a nest in the barn. A word at the gate or a sign on the barn door does the job.

Booking

Wasp Nest Removal Essex treats nests at homes and commercial premises, which includes farm buildings. The company is open every day of the week, offers same-day service and is fully insured. Each nest is treated for a fixed £90 and one visit is guaranteed. An additional nest on the same property is £35 extra, which is useful on a farm with several buildings.

The booking line is 01245 327274 or complete the online booking form on the contact page. Say where the nest is, how to reach it by vehicle and whether gates or livestock are involved. Coverage takes in the village and surrounding villages. If anyone working on the farm is allergic to stings, say so when booking so that the visit can be prioritised.

If you let buildings to other businesses, tell your tenants about the nest and check your agreement about who arranges treatment.

Take extra care with equipment stored against barn walls, such as feed hoppers and trailers, which can hide a nest at ground level. Check around them before shifting anything.

Stings and the year ahead

Deal with a sting by staying calm, then rinse the spot, take out the sting if it is visible and hold a cold pack against it. Call 999 if someone develops dizziness, a widespread rash, swelling of the face, lips or throat or wheezing or difficulty breathing. A person with a known allergy to stings should talk to their GP.

Wasps begin building from late April depending on the weather, and nests can hold anywhere from 2,000 to 10,000 wasps or more by August. A walk round the buildings in spring, looking at roof edges, doors, banks and the base of walls, takes little time. A farm in Stisted, as elsewhere, is best protected by a regular habit of looking.

Keep a written note in the farm diary of where each nest has been found, with the year. Over time it becomes a map of the places that suit wasps on your land, and it tells you where to look first each spring.

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

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Stisted