Every year we get called out to wasps nests, and some are in very interesting locations. We’ve treated nest in bushes and hedgerows, in the ground, and in many voids and gaps in buildings. However, the vast majority are in attic spaces, or someone’s shed, the queen for this nest had decided to build somewhere a bit different.
When we treat a wasp nest in Hastings, we always look for the safest and most humane way to destroy and remove the nest. In attic spaces, or the roof of the garden shed, that can be quite simple. However, sometimes they build nests in places that take us a bit by surprise. We always try not to use any chemicals, if at all possible, and prefer to fully remove the nest, if we can. In this case, we used very little chemical, and were able to fully remove the nest.
Our customer reported getting stung by wasps whilst using their hot tub, and being able to see wasps going in and out in the gap between the plastic tub, and the wooden surround. Upon inspection, we could see that the wasps were indeed going into the cavity, and that was where their nest would be.
Carefully, we unscrewed one of the boards, and removed it. Unfortunately, there was nothing behind it. We hadn’t got it right on the first time. So we unscrewed the one next to it, and bingo! We had found the nest.
Wasp Nest Removal
Not a particularly big nest, but certainly big enough for this time of year. The heat of the hot tub had probably brought the queen and the brood on quicker than them being the natural environment. Using a combination of spray and beekeeping gauntlets, we were able to fully remove the nest, and dispose of it safely. The wasps did attempt to sting us as we worked, but through the use of good PPE, we weren’t stung.
The wasps had chewed through some insulation on the pipes that feed the hot tub, but thankfully nothing that would cause serious damage.
This wasp nest removal was completed in less than an hour. Worker wasps will still fly back to the nest location for the next day or two, but very quickly realise that the nest is gone. Typically, they go off and try to find another nest in the local area to join.