Questions & answers about wasp nests

Hi Sarah, it is without a doubt queen wasps which you are finding at this time of year. They are obviously hibernating in your loft over winter and are now waking up due to the warmer weather, but instead of finding their way outside, they are getting into your house. Downlights or holes through the ceiling into the loft area will most probably be how they are getting inside. Have you noticed any nesting activity over the last couple of years on your roof? Normally queens hibernate within the vicinity of the nest which they were hatched in, i.e. last years nest. However, this is not always the case. Is your house an old one? Older homes with gaps in the tiles and facia boards are better places for wasps build nests and also to hibernate in. They are dry with good airflow. The only way you are going to prevent this from happening in the future is to have your loft fogged out in late Autumn/Winter; this will kill every hibernating queen in the attic, and this problem will not arise. Fogging is a way of spraying the entire loft area with an insecticide with a very low particle size. It is very effective and not costly. I hope this helps.

Hi Sandy, that's an unusual one. I am not sure how you would go about cleaning a wasp nest. You could try blowing gentle air over it. You can buy pressurised cans of air which are generally used for airbrushing/delicate spraying. With the use of a pressure regulator, you could restrict the air flow, so it doesn't damage the nest.

Hi Cal, contact your local pest controller try www.wasp-control.co.uk and explain the situation. A quick knockdown treatment could be done late in the evening which will kill all the wasps instantly.