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

For a family with a stinging allergy, a loft nest is more than a nuisance, and telling the business at the time of booking helps the visit be prioritised.

Why this changes the urgency

For most people a wasp sting is painful and passes. For someone with a stinging allergy it can be much more serious. That makes a nest above the bedrooms a good reason to act quickly and to be especially careful in the meantime.

We are not able to give medical advice, and nothing here replaces the guidance of your GP. What we can say is that people with known allergies should speak to their GP about how to manage stings, and that the household should plan ahead and not wait for a sting to find out what to do.

The loft nest grows through the summer and peaks in August, when there may be thousands of wasps in the colony. The sooner it is dealt with, the fewer wasps there are to wander into the house.

Allergic reactions can vary from one sting to the next, and a person who coped last year may not cope in the same way this year. That is another reason to be cautious and to take guidance from a medical professional, not from a web page.

Tell the business when you book

The most useful single step is to mention the allergy when you ring or fill in the booking form. The client asks that you say so at the time of booking, so the booking can be prioritised. There is no need to explain in detail; a simple statement that someone in the household is allergic to wasp stings is enough.

Wasp Nest Removal Essex is open seven days a week and offers same-day service, so ask about the earliest available slot. We cannot promise a particular arrival time, but making the technician aware gives the best chance of getting you looked after promptly.

Book by ringing 01245 327274 or complete the booking form on the contact page.

Reducing contact in the meantime

Until the nest is treated, the allergic person should stay out of the rooms beneath the loft where possible, and should sleep elsewhere if wasps are getting into the bedroom. Keep windows closed in the affected rooms, or fit fine mesh.

• Close doors and put a towel at the bottom of the door to rooms where wasps appear.
• Avoid walking barefoot indoors or outdoors, and check shoes before putting them on.
• Keep drinks covered, and avoid sweet snacks outside.
• Keep the loft hatch shut, and ask everyone else in the house to do the same.

If wasps are in the house, stay calm, do not swat, and open a window so they can leave.

Think about the car and garden as well. Wasps follow people to picnic tables, and they like open bins. Taking meals indoors and keeping the lids on during the weeks before treatment lowers the chances of an encounter without much effort.

If a sting happens

Move away from the wasps, wash the area with soap and water, remove the sting if you can see it and apply a cold pack. Stay with the person and watch them.

Dial 999 if the face, lips or throat swell, or if there is wheezing, difficulty breathing, dizziness or a widespread rash. Do not wait to see if it improves. If the person has been given medication by a doctor for a known allergy, follow the instructions they have been given.

This article does not give dosing or drug advice. A GP or pharmacist is the right person to ask, ideally before the summer starts.

It is sensible to tell at least one other adult in the house where the first aid supplies are kept and what the plan is if the worst happens. A short conversation now means nobody is searching for a phone number or a pack of ice in a panic.

Keep a mobile phone charged and to hand during the weeks before treatment, especially if the allergic person is at home alone.

What the technician will do

The technician finds where wasps are entering, then treats the nest. They will explain what they plan to do and where they need access. Keep the allergic person, and children and pets, in a room away from the affected area during the work. The business is fully insured and covers homes and commercial premises across Tiptree and nearby villages.

Each nest is treated for a fixed £90 in all, and one visit is guaranteed. An additional nest on the same property is £35 each, so mention it if you suspect more than one.

If the allergic person is a child, it is usually easiest for another adult to take them out for a while, to a relative or a park well away from the house, while the work is done. Plan this in advance so the day is smooth.

Afterwards: checking before you relax

When the technician has gone, leave the hatch closed and the rooms below shut for a short while. Look for dead or dazed wasps on the floor, sills and in light fittings, and remove them with a vacuum or a hand brush and pan, wearing shoes. Someone without an allergy should do this job.

Do not let the allergic person clear up. Dying wasps can still sting. If you want the empty nest removed, ask the technician at booking whether that can be done.

For next year, look at the roof edge in the spring and speak to your GP about your family's plan, so that you are prepared before the season begins.

Finally, remember that one nest treated does not rule out a new one elsewhere on the property. If you spot fresh activity, contact the business again as soon as you can, and tell them about the allergy at that point too.

Frequently asked questions

More wasp advice for Tiptree