19 Nov 2023 | Trifecta Pest Solutions (UK) Ltd
Wasps are incredibly annoying and I’ve never seen an insect so despised (except maybe flies?) by the UK general public. We all know how they buzz around with a disdain for humans and generally cause chaos.
So what do you do if you find you have a nest of these discourteous critters in your walls? Ideally, you call a wasp pest control service and let the professionals take care of it, but I delve into this subject below in more detail and look at how to get rid of a wasp nest in your wall.
Identifying the Wasp Nest
Before we can even look at getting rid of the wasp nest, we’ve got to identify it in your home. There are some subtle signs you can look for including:
- Most likely between the months of June to August.
- You will notice an unusually large number of wasps around your home.
- You could see wasps lining up to enter holes in your house.
It’s common to see a few stray wasps flying around your garden in the summer as they can scout wide areas. However, if you see an unusual concentration of them in and around your home, this could be a sign of a nest.
A sure giveaway is the wasps moving in specific directions and congregating at points around your house like a train station terminal. The congregating is most likely because they are queuing up to enter a hole in your house to their nest!
Try to follow their movements (from a safe distance obviously!) and you can hopefully track their point of entry so you know roughly where the nest is inside your walls.
Safety Precautions
Wasps sting. This is painful, but it can also be incredibly dangerous if you have an allergic reaction to the sting. As a result, you must be cautious and observe the following safety advice:
- Observe the wasps from a distance.
- Try not to aggravate them with aggressive movements or swatting.
- Avoid the area where you think the nest is.
- Cover your arms and legs with long-sleeved garments.
- Make sure you have identified all entry and exit points.
The simplest thing you can do is to keep your distance. Once you have identified the entry holes into your home, don’t immediately prop a ladder up and start poking around! Also, long-sleeved clothing is advised to protect your arms and legs.
DIY Methods for Getting Rid of a Wasp Nest Inside a Wall
I want to reiterate that I advise against using DIY methods when looking at how to get rid of a wasp nest in your wall. This really should be left to the professionals and it can be dangerous. If you don’t identify all the entry and exit points, for example, you could have an angry wasp swarm to deal with!
If you do want to have a go yourself, you can do the following:
- Identify the entry and exit points of the nest.
- Place a lure near the suspected nest area to bring the wasps out.
- Seal the holes with sealant or caulk.
- Drill a small hole into the area where the nest is.
- Insert pesticide into the hole.
- Vacate the area.
It’s really important to find all the holes to prevent the wasps from getting back in so be thorough in your research and spotting. A lure is a great way to protect the wasps too as opposed to simply sealing them in and killing them as they do have environmental benefits.
Once the pesticide has done its job for any wasps that didn’t go to the lure, you don’t need to remove the nest as the wasps will not go back to it.
Legal Considerations
You must also think about the legal ramifications of your actions regarding any type of pest removal. Luckily, both waps and bees currently have no legal protection in the UK so you can lawfully move and/or destroy a wasp nest in your walls.
I urge you to consider the ethical arguments too though and whether it’s necessary to destroy the nest. Wasps are great at killing other insects that can be troublesome around properties, and like bees, they are important for our environment.
Calling a Wasp Nest Removal Expert
Trying to remove a wasp nest in your house wall manually is no easy task and it can be dangerous as we discussed earlier. With the potential to be stung and even cause an allergic reaction, it is advisable to enlist the services of a professional wasp pest control service.
A professional company has a team of experts who have removed wasp nests many times and will be able to advise on the best course of action. They will also have the correct protective gear and know-how to avoid getting stung while moving the nest safely without causing harm to the wasps.
