Pest control guidance: Wasps

Wasps (Vespula vulgaris) are beneficial garden insects, collecting insects and larvae etc. to feed to developing wasp larvae in the nest during the summer months. Worker wasps will feed on a variety of foods including fruits such as apples, pears and plums. They collect wood to construct nests and may therefore damage the wooden fences and garden furniture.

By the end of the summer, the queen wasp stops laying eggs and the workers no longer need to collect food for the young in the nest. They become free to search for sweet things such as cakes or sweets and therefore can become a nuisance.

It is the ability of wasps to cause painful stings that concerns people most. People’s reactions to wasp stings can vary considerably from intense pain and swelling round the area of the sting, to a severe allergic reaction (known as anaphylactic shock) which can be life threatening.

Life cycle

The queen wasp lays eggs in the nest and hatch into larvae within a few days. 4-6 weeks after the eggs are laid the first generation of workers emerge. These are female wasps and are smaller than the queens and take over responsibility for maintaining the nest and finding food, in particular high protein foodstuffs for the larvae such as flies, caterpillars, or spiders.

The queen then devotes all her time to laying eggs and by the end of the summer the nest may contain 20,000 or more wasps. In the autumn the new queens and males produced from the nest mate and the fertilised queens search for hibernation sites. With the onset of winter weather the nests die out and are never reused.

Treating wasps nest can be very dangerous. For this reason, a Council treatment is always
advised.

Treatments and advice

Using only the best products, our responsive and discrete service can keep your home or business pest free. You can be assured that we are able to deliver a truly professional, safe and effective service. We have the local knowledge and expertise in both residential and commercial sectors to solve your problem fast and effectively. Priced competitively against other pest control companies, you can trust us to tailor our services to your exact needs and keep prices low.

• Please note: we are improving access to our online services for pest control customers. During this time, our online booking system will not be available, so please call 01695 577177 to book and pay over the telephone during office hours.