It seems that wasps have become more of a problem with UK householders in recent years, not only in the garden but also with a higher number of them invading our homes.
The number of wasp nest removals now being undertaken by professional pest control companies across the country has been steadily rising over the past decade with popular places for wasps to build their nest being in attics and roof spaces.
Firstly, if you have a wasps nest in your home it helps to be able to identify what type of wasp infestation you have and understand their life cycle.
UK wasp species
Did you know that the UK has over 9000 species of wasps? It’s true, but most of these are tiny and hardly ever seen by humans, such as parasitic wasps. However, there are 250 species of wasps that are larger and have a stinger.
Not all wasps are bad and they do help us in the garden because they eat flies, aphids, caterpillars and other invertebrates that can damage our garden plants. Wasps are important insect-controlling predators so most keen gardeners will tolerate them unless they build a nest in the garden and pose a risk to your health if you are allergic to their venom.
There are only nine wasp species that are social and will build large nests. Most wasps we see in the UK are solitary and don’t normally bother us. The two main types of wasps we encounter the most in the UK are solitary and social wasps.
How wasps nests form
Social wasps are the ones responsible for building wasps nests. They tend to cluster together at the height of summer to build a nest and the nest population can reach anything between 5,000 and 10,000 in number.
It is these social wasp nests that cause us the most concern. The wasps build their nests from materials they find lying around such as sawdust and wood shavings, cardboard and paper that they mash up with their saliva to form a cellulose building material.
They tend to build their nests in attics, walls, under the eaves of houses and in cellars or underfloor spaces. They can choose outdoor areas that are uncomfortably close to houses such as hedges and trees and they will invade your house while looking for food.
The main concern for householders is if any member of the family is allergic to wasp stings or they simply invade the home in overwhelming numbers that they become a real nuisance to have around. Let’s face it, no one enjoys being stung by wasps!
Getting rid of wasps
By far the best way to get rid of a wasp nest that is bothering you is to hire a local Northampton based professional pest control company to take care of this for you.
Unlike most UK householders, pest control specialists are experts in dealing with wasps nests. However, don’t be tempted to DIY this job for yourself by using a commercial pesticide to get rid of the wasps.
A lot of pesticides can be harmful to humans, pets and wildlife, especially if you don’t use them correctly. Also, most people trying to get rid of wasps on their own tend to buy the wrong type of pesticide that won’t be effective on wasps and could leave you with potentially hundreds of angry wasps flying around your home!
Wasps nests that are within your home are best left to professional pest-control experts as they have the specialist equipment needed to deal with them, including protective clothing such as a wasp suit.