Best time to prevent nests: autumn to early spring
Do repairs when there is no active nest, usually from late autumn through winter to early spring. Never seal a gap while wasps are using it; that can push them into the house.
Around the house
- Replace slipped or broken roof tiles
- Repair gaps in soffits, fascias and bargeboards
- Fit fine mesh behind vents where building rules allow
- Seal gaps around pipes and cables with suitable filler
- Repoint loose mortar in old brickwork
- Check flat-roof edges and lifted felt
In the garden
- Check sheds, garages and summerhouses in spring for small paper nests
- Keep shed doors and windows shut when not in use
- Fill old animal holes in lawns in winter
- Keep compost heaps covered
- Trim dense hedges outside the nesting season
Food and bins
Late-summer wasps are drawn to sugar and protein. Keep bins closed, rinse recycling, cover food outside and clear up fallen fruit. This will not stop a nest, but it reduces wasps around you.
Do fake nests and traps work?
Decoy nests are sold to deter queens. Evidence that they work is limited, so do not rely on them. Traps catch some foragers but do not deal with a nest and can attract more wasps to the area.
Spotting a nest early
In spring, look in sheds and roof spaces for a small grey paper ball. An early nest is small, but still do not knock it down yourself. Call us; one nest is £125 at any size.
Wasp nest prevention: common questions
Can I seal an air brick to stop wasps?
Not with an active nest behind it, and air bricks are there for ventilation. Use a suitable mesh cover only when there is no nest.
Do wasps return to the same house every year?
Not the same colony, but a sheltered gap can attract a new queen. Repairs in winter help.
Do you offer prevention contracts?
No. We treat active nests: £125 per nest, no contract, no call-out fee.