Wasp Nests on Wembley's New Blocks of Flats
A modern block has fewer old timber soffits than a 1930s semi, but it is not short of sheltered corners. Balconies stacked one above another leave a dry ceiling over each one. Window frames are set into the facade with trims and seals that can open slightly over the years, and cladding goes up in panels with joints and edges between them. A queen needs only a small opening into a dry space to begin, and by late summer the nest behind it can be far larger than the gap suggests.
Balconies and roof terraces
On a balcony, look at the ceiling formed by the balcony above, the back of stacked chairs or a folded parasol, planters and the space under decking tiles. Roof terraces add pergolas, planting and furniture covers. Wasps also visit terraces for sweet drinks and food in late summer without nesting anywhere near, so a few round the table is not the same as a nest. Why wasps become more persistent in late summer explains that change. Webs strung along the balcony rail belong to spiders, not wasps.
Window frames and gaps in the cladding
A line of wasps vanishing into the edge of a window frame or a joint between facade panels means the nest is inside the wall build-up, not on the surface. Keep that window shut, and do not push anything into the gap or spray into it, because wasps shut in may find their way out indoors. Can wasps nest inside walls? covers nests you cannot see.
When the Nest Is Out of Reach
Plenty of nests on a block can be reached from the balcony or window of the flat they sit beside. Others are higher up the outside of the building, above a communal entrance or on a part of the roof residents cannot get to. There, access is in the hands of the building management, so tell the concierge or managing agent about the nest as well as booking, and let us know who runs the building when you call. The Pest Control Wembley page sets out how responsibility usually splits in a block.
What to tell us when you book
- Your floor, and whether the entrance is on your own balcony, beside a window or somewhere else on the building
- Whether the nest can be seen or reached from inside your flat
- Who to contact at the building management if the roof, a terrace or another balcony has to be opened up
- For a house, whether the nest is in the eaves, loft, a wall, the shed or the ground, and how we reach the back garden
Keep children and pets indoors and the balcony door closed until the visit. Anyone at home who has had a bad reaction to a sting before should stay well away, and signs of a severe allergic reaction after a sting mean calling 999.
Eaves, Lofts and Sheds in Older Wembley Houses
The Edwardian and interwar terraces and semis around Wembley Central, Tokyngton and Barn Hill offer a different set of sites. Wasps get in under loose tiles and into the eaves, build in lofts that nobody visits for months, and use garden sheds, compost bins and hedges. A loft nest is often only noticed when wasps turn up on the landing or at a bedroom window. What to do about a wasp nest in the loft covers the time before the visit. A hole in the lawn or at the edge of a path with wasps going in is a ground nest, also £90 fixed price. Winged insects pouring out between patio slabs on a single humid day are far more likely flying ants.
After the Visit
Wasps may keep flying round the entrance for a while, so keep the nearest window or balcony door closed and leave the gap unblocked for now. The dead nest can normally stay where it is. If the nest is still active within 30 days, we come back at no extra cost, and Will wasps return after treatment? sets out what is normal in the meantime.
Fewer Wasp Nests Next Summer
Nothing makes a building wasp-free, though a few spring checks help. Wasp Nest Removal Brent covers nests in the rest of the borough.
- From April, look under the balcony ceiling, behind planters and inside furniture covers for a small, papery ball
- Once the season is over, report any gaps you noticed in window trims or cladding joints to the building management
- Keep bins on balconies and terraces lidded, and rinse cans and bottles before they sit outside
- In an older house, have loose tiles and damaged eaves boards put right after the nest has died, and keep the shed door shut
