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Dealing with Wasps’ nests
Summertime and we are spending more time outside trimming hedges, working in the garden and generally getting ready for when the children break up from school. Barbecues are on the rise as we enjoy eating outside, but the pleasure can be marred if there is a wasps’ nest nearby.
Jim McGowan, Head of Community Services at Bromley Council, says: "As expected over the last few days we have seen a considerable rise in the number of wasps’ nests reported to us.
"The queen wasps came out of hibernation about May, and started their nest by laying a few eggs. At this stage the nest is only the size of a golf ball, and is attached to the branch of a hedge, the ceiling of a porch, or a rafter in the loft. The eggs hatch and turn into the familiar black and yellow striped wasps. These wasps forage for food and begin to enlarge the nest. By late summer the nest may contain 5,000 wasps and be the size of a football."
Wasps are beneficial insects - they attack and kill many small insects around the garden. But they are also a nuisance and can inflict a painful sting if provoked. In late summer and autumn they often come into the kitchen looking for sweet sugary foods. It is easy to cut into a nest when trimming a hedge, and wasps also make their nest in garages, porches, garden huts, and the lofts of houses.
Tackling a nest can be dangerous work if you are not fully protected and experienced. There are many aerosol cans of insecticide available from supermarkets if you decide to tackle the job yourself, however the Council's advice is that it is best left to a professional pest control operative who has heavy duty protective clothing, specialised equipment and the most effective insecticides.
The Council provides such a service for domestic residents using a professional pest control contractor at a subsidised rate, with further discounts for those in receipt of benefit.
To book an appointment for this or any other pest problem contact Bromley Council between 9 am and 5.30 pm 08451 303264. Appointments for treatment can normally be offered on a next day basis.
ENDS