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Today i had to go in the loft for some Halloween decorations only to find hundreds of dead wasps on the floor. Luckily they were dead as i only had shorts and a tshirt on. I looked around carefully but couldn't find a nest so i'm guessing its hidden behind a fascia soffet somewhere. I've read online they dont build in the same nest again but might build next to it.
My question is. Do i get someone in now during the winter to find the old nest and destroy it or leave it till the spring when the queen comes out of hibernation?




Answers

 

I'll put a comment here as I would like to follow the thread and read advice given by members...

Are you sure those wasps didn't die of fright seeing you in your shorts wearing a Hallowe'en mask ? ;o)

29 Oct, 2011

 

I would suggest that you should find out where the wasps were entering your loft and sealing the hole. This will stop them coming back next year and building a new nest.

29 Oct, 2011

 

They might have done lol...I've left them there till tomorrow so i can take a picture of them to make sure they are wasps. (you know what i'm like for identifying creatures).. Hopefully someone will know the answer though.

29 Oct, 2011

 

Wont the queen still be in the nest Bulbaholic?

29 Oct, 2011

 

Nope Bill the queen has gone to sleep somewhere but not in he nest and probably not in your home.

29 Oct, 2011

 

Oh i see Moon growe...I think ill leave it another month though before i go poking around up there.

29 Oct, 2011

 

When you go into the loft for your Christmas Decorations... don't wear shorts ...

29 Oct, 2011

 

In case i scare Santa?

29 Oct, 2011

 

nope... in case you are dressed as Santa, and the wasps invade your white beard and moustache ...
... ho ho ho...

29 Oct, 2011

 

Lol TT....But wasps are 'orrible nasty things..

29 Oct, 2011

 

As Moon and Bilbobaggins said, the queens will probably be hibernating in nooks and crannies somewhere until the warmer weather returns.

The worker wasps usually die in the autumn, and the queen dies a short time later. The new, (next years Queens), might be hibernating ready for next year.

Your'e right in what you said about normally they wouldn't use the same nest, but occasionally a queen will build a new nest the following spring next to an old one. I believe that the reason why they don't use the nest again is to do with contamination, viruses in the old nest or something.

To answer your question about getting someone in now or waiting. If your at all concerned, then get someone to look at it now before they become active. A quick spray in your attic should kill off any queens if they are there.

29 Oct, 2011

 

Glad you asked that question Billdingsite. We have found 2 golf ball sized nests in our loft recently. The wasps are coming into my daughters bedroom and dying on the window sill. We weren't sure ourselves whether to get somebody in, but we shall wait until next spring and see what happens.

1 Nov, 2011

 

Thanks everyone for the advice! I was up there today hoovering them up. There must have been 100 dead ones mainly all below the sky light. I couldn't see any nest but I got thinking about the new windows I had put in at the front this year and wondered if that had disturbed them and may have got stuck in the loft trying to get out of the window.

13 Nov, 2011

 

Possibly...

13 Nov, 2011

 

Vacuumed 100 dead wasps ...
.... and hopefully no live ones .... ?

13 Nov, 2011

How do I say thanks?

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