It isnt? wasp venom contains a pheromone - an alarm causing other wasps to become more aggressive when a wasp has stung something or been killed, so it's not advisable to swat a wasp near its nest or attempt to remove the nest yourself. Get the experts to remove an active one, they will also treat to deter them coming back. Last time I had one removed it was £26 so I guess you would pay around £30-40 now.

I remove at least 2 wasps nest every year. go to a good D.I.Y store and buy a spray can of Wasp Nest Remover. I will repeat the instructions on the can for the benefit of others. Spray the nest at night when the wasps are asleep. By monring they will all be dead and the nest itself dissolved. If it is a big nest in an open space then you may need to spray again the following night. As long as you do it when the wasps are in the nest there is no danger. (And a lot lot cheaper than sending for the Council).

You can also get a powder to puff into the entrance of the nest. As the wasps enter the nest they take the poison in with them and the wasps die. Realistically though we need every wasp and bee we can lay our hands on to pollinate the plants. Unless they are causing a problem I would not bother to remove.

Spraying at night as Owdboggy says it probably the best plan as wasps as cold blooded creatures are inactive when it's cool at night. You don't need to get the insecticide INSIDE the nest, as there are types which simply adhere to the insects as they enter the nest.
A friendly local beekeeper would do the job for you for nothing, if you know one, as he or she can wear a veil as protection.
I would agree with Moon grower though, that wasps are wrongly persecuted as a pest, while they do lots of good removing real pests such as caterpillars and other insects as well as pollinating certain plants, like figwort. It's only at the end of the season that they may become a nuisance when they seek out sugary things as the days lengthen. So only remove your nest if it is a real nuisance or danger.
Wasps are actually far less aggressive than honey bees, and I'd much more readily stand by a wasp's nest with no protection than next to a beehive.

I only remove nests when they are in a place where there is no possibility of getting past without disturbing them. Sadly my wife is extremely allergic to their stings so I do try to keep then well away from the house etc. Agree though that it is better to leave them alone until the end of the season.
I do have to say that the sound of them scraping away the wood on our swing seat to make their nest with is one I can live without!

Himself is highly allergic too Owdb. but we've not had a real problem with nest in years. In a way I wish we had, would at least indicate that there were wasps around. We used to have several nests a year in the garden never see one now.

When the man from the pest company can come round and do it, is my answer - I hate the things and wouldn't dream of doing it myself.

My daughter had a serious reaction to a wasp sting and had have an emergency ambulance and an overnight stay in high dependancy in hospital she now has to carry an injection kit with her OB - so I wont take chances and would get the professionals in .

Wasps, normally, do not sting. I've had them walking over me because I was wearing a yellow top... it was un-nerving but that is because we've been schooled to see wasps as bad! We have a kit in the house in case himself gets stung... I feel we need to get things back into balance, destroying the wasps, using pesticides that kill the honey bees... where are we going to end up? Farming as it exists is, in my opinion, wrong. Monoculture, again in my opinion, is wrong. Look at the way things grow in nature... try to emulate that. Accept that bugs exist and for a good reason! I do not believe we have the right to destroy whole species just to feel 'safe'! Oh lord get off the soap box MG... most folk don't want to hear or know!

No, you made some good points, MG, with which I agree (apart from calmly allowing wasps to crawl over me) but I'm not happy to tolerate a wasps' nest in the loft or under the eaves or under the window in the wall of my bedroom (all places I've had them before).

Lets keep this in proportion MG - the question was is it safe to remove a wasps nest and if like mine it was in the house what else is one to do?

We are in the process of having our front porch replaced. Whilst dismantling the inside of the old one himself discovered dozens of wasp nests... None had affected us in any way Drc... Yes if a wasp nest was inside the house I would destroy it. Otherwise... I would think long and hard. Unless the nest is causing a problem why destroy it? Guest does not state where the nest is... as a species we are far to ready to kill and destroy. I hope that the planet can survive this attitude but doubt it!

The planet will be fine, MG, whatever we do - it'll be us that'll be wiped out.

That is true Bamboo... and perhaps is what needs to happen

I so agree Bamboo - the planet whatever happens will always heal itself. Mans time like the dinosaurs is limited because ultimately he is greedy and selfish.

Agree Drc