Wasps in loft

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JohnN
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I've just discovered a large nest in our loft space, with wasps buzzing about. They don't come in the house unless we leave the hatch open, so is it best to leave it? Will they be dying off in the next few weeks, leaving the nest empty for removal?
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Primrose
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We had a similar problem in our loft around this time of year a few years ago. Rang the pest control,people who said they would come and deal with it for a fee but if we were patient the problem would resolve itself with time as the wasps would all die off when the cooler weather came. This is what happened but we did help them on their way by sticking our heads into the loft and letting loose some regular bursts of insect killer from an aerosol spray can !
Last edited by Primrose on Sun Sep 09, 2018 5:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Monika
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John, I would leave them alone unless you have to go up into the loft regularly. But do watch out: when it gets cooler, they become drowsy before dying off and sometimes find their way through the cavity walls into the rooms below. If you have gaps under the skirting board, they creep along the floor and could present a hazard to crawling children or bare-footed nighttime wanderers!
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JohnN
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Thank you for advice. I'll wait till they're in bed and give them a dose of spray- but not near their exit under the tiles into the garden, I don't want to stop them getting out and drive them into looking for another exit, perhaps into the house!. We've got cavity wall insulation so I don't think they'll come in that way.
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JohnN
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A friend has suggested that next year I put a fake nest in the loft, the theory being that new wasps will see it and go away. Any one tried a fake nest - does it work?
I see on the internet you can buy these, or make one yourself, though it looks to be a messy task using a balloon, wallpaper paste and cardboard.(Sounds a good winter task for some kids!)
Would leaving the old nest in situ until next Spring do the same job, or would new wasps recognise it as a defunct nest and ignore it?
Daveswife
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Since wasps are beneficial to the environment, including pollination and predation, I feel it is wrong to kill them unnecessarily. Everything has a place in the natural balance of things and if we can manage the situation by not destroying them, be it wasps, bees, whatever, I think that is the way forward.

If the wasps are getting into living rooms or bedrooms (or in our case, the downstairs toilet), how are they getting in? Can the gaps be taped over so the only way in and out of their nest is from outdoors? If they are being lured into the kitchen at jam making time, simply shut the windows to keep them out. How often do you go into the loft space? Can it be temporarily out of bounds until they die?

This is a simple philosophy - don't worry them, and they won't worry us.
Angie
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