13/09/2026
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⚠️ Important safety reminder when removing wasp nests
I recently had an encounter in a loft with a newly hatched, mated queen wasp that was looking for somewhere to overwinter. Unfortunately, I disturbed her while carrying out a woodworm treatment. She became quite a nuisance while I was working in the loft, so she had to be dealt with.
I then had another woodworm treatment to carry out in a different loft, but there was a large, active wasp nest in the way. I treated the nest with Digrain and Vulcan and returned 10 days later to carry out the woodworm treatment. The customer also requested that I remove the old nest while I was there.
During the removal, large numbers of queen wasps suddenly came flying out of the nest — something I certainly wasn’t expecting.
Although the original queen and workers had been killed, the developing queens had been protected inside their cells beneath the white capping. They must have hatched during the 10 days between my visits.
This really highlights that we can no longer assume that a treated or apparently redundant nest is completely inactive when we come to remove it. There can still be developing queens inside the nest, which may hatch between treatments and removal.
This isn’t the first time I’ve experienced this, although the last occasion was a few years ago and I hadn’t treated the nest beforehand. On that occasion, I ended up with hundreds of queen wasps in my van and driver’s compartment, flying around the windscreen while I was driving!
So, please take extra care when removing old or treated wasp nests, particularly in lofts and other enclosed spaces. A nest that looks dead doesn’t necessarily mean everything inside it is dead.
It’s a good reminder that we need to be especially cautious when disturbing these nests, even when we believe the colony has been dealt with.
Anyway, stay safe out there my fellow pesties, always be prepared for unexpected!
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