Wasps

Getting rid of wasps

Wasps become a nuisance to humans mainly in late summer as the weather gets cooler when they become more likely to sting.  A wasp, unlike a bee, can sting many times. Although the wasp sting is not normally serious, it can be very painful, and in certain cases can cause a severe reaction.

We treat the wasps themselves, and do not remove nests. Please note that if you report wasps and we find out that you have bees, you might not be able to get a refund on the pest control charge.

Please make sure you have wasps before booking pest control.

Report this pest

What do they look like?

All the wasps found in the United Kingdom, with the exception of the hornet, are very similar with black and bright yellow bands on their body and two pairs of wings. They have a very obvious stinger at the end of their body and they are not 'fuzzy' like bees.

Where they live

In spring, the fertilized queen leaves her hibernating quarters to seek nesting sites for a new colony. These sites could be holes in the ground, hollow trees, sheds, loft spaces or wall cavities. The queen starts to build her nest with a papery material that she makes by chewing wood mixed with saliva; this is known as wasp paper. She will raise the first few workers who will then enlarge the nest and care for the immature wasps. Nest construction starts in spring and will reach its maximum size in September, when up to 10,000 workers may be present.  An old nest is not used in subsequent years.

What they eat?

Wasps usually eat insects, which are mainly garden or household pests. They also feed on dustbin waste and animal carcasses.

Why wasps can be a pest?

Wasps become a nuisance to humans mainly in late summer as the weather gets cooler when they become more likely to sting. A wasp, unlike a bee, can sting many times. Although the wasp sting is not normally serious, it can be very painful, and in certain cases can cause a severe reaction.

What you can do to control the problem?

Nests located in areas away from human contact can be left untreated. It should be remembered that wasps have a beneficial aspect as they kill many garden insect pests.

However, if it is necessary to destroy the nest, it is easy to do so. Wasps are generally easy to control if the nest is destroyed by applying a residual insecticide. This will be in either a dust or liquid form and is applied to the nest entrance or nearby so that wasps entering the nest are contaminated. Please note we cannot move barge boards and soffits.  Our staff will not carry out any building work such as joinery. They are not able to fill holes in walls or gardens, or do things like remove kitchen units or decking, or replace missing roof tiles.

Once the nest is located treatment only takes a matter of minutes. 1 application is normally enough to solve the problem.

How can I get rid of pests?

Newcastle City Council provides a pest control service for the treatment of wasps when they are in your home or business premises, In many cases, treatment may only take a few minutes and involve the application of industrial insecticide/pesticide which take effect gradually. The pest control operative will tell you what has been done. Please note we do not remove nests on most occasions. This will be looked at on a case by case basis.

You are strongly recommended to seek professional help in dealing with a problem wasp’s nest. Consider the risks very carefully before attempting a treatment yourself.  Wasps are aggressive when their nest is threatened, and multiple stings may result if your protective clothing is inadequate.

If you do attempt treatment yourself, when using pesticides always follow the instructions on the label.