Wasp nests getting ‘larger and harder’ to manage warn pest hit squad

It doesn’t look like wasps are going to buzz off anytime soon, as pest controllers have reported the intolerable insects are building even bigger nests.

Experts say the “highly unusual” surge in wasps reports is due to unusually warm weather which has provided wasps with plentiful food sources.

Jacquie Clark, managing director of Randall Crawford Pest Control in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, said her business, which has been running for over 40 years – has never seen such an influx of calls in November.

She described encountering larger and more heavily populated nests, with pictures taken by staff showing the sheer size of the nests removed from sheds, homes and garages.

She told the Belfast Telegraph: “To say it’s unusual would be an understatement. We have been 40 years in this trade, and I have honestly never heard of wasp nest problems in November – but we are now taking daily calls from people asking for help.
“The first frost would normally get rid of them but we haven’t had that yet.”

A typical wasp nest holds up to 10,000 wasps but Jacquie says that recent nests have been bigger and more difficult to control.
However, as the weather begins to get colder, wasp activity should die down as males die off and females begin hibernation.

The British Pest Control Association advises that if a large number of wasps are seen around your home, there is likely an active nest nearby.

Nests are typically found under trees, in bushes, wall cavities, or in sheds and garages.