Wasp nest removal in Garsfontein

If wasps are building near a door, a patio or anywhere children play, the safest answer is to have the nest treated and removed rather than knocking it down yourself. Most wasps around Garsfontein homes are paper wasps, which aren't aggressive when left alone but will defend a nest hard if it's disturbed. We treat the nest directly, let the product work, and take it down once it's safe.

Where wasps nest in Garsfontein homes

Paper wasps like a sheltered surface with a bit of overhang. In a typical family home here, that means:

• Under eaves and roof overhangs, especially on the warm north side
• Patio and carport roofs, between beams and on the underside of shade-cloth frames
• Jungle gyms, wendy houses and treehouses
• Pool-pump covers, gate motors and meter boxes
• Window frames, burglar bars and the inside of unused braai covers
• Thick shrubs and hedges, where a nest may only be found when someone trims it

Mud dauber wasps also build small mud nests on walls and in garages. They're solitary and rarely sting, but some people want them gone.

When wasps become a problem

Nests start small in spring, often a cluster of a few cells and one queen. Through the summer heat, from around November, the colony grows, and by late summer a nest under a patio roof can be a substantial size. That's also when stings tend to happen, because more people are outside, doors are open and children are in the pool.

Someone who has had a severe reaction to a sting before should never deal with a nest themselves. If a sting causes swelling of the face or throat, difficulty breathing or dizziness, that's a medical emergency.

How we handle a nest

We locate all active nests on the property; there's often more than one. Each nest is treated directly with a product that kills the wasps on and inside it, including those returning later in the day. Once activity has stopped, the nest is removed so it doesn't attract new queens. We work carefully around doors and play areas, and the household can stay put. Keep children and pets indoors while we're working on the nest and until we've said the area is clear.

If you have bees rather than wasps, tell us. Bees are treated very differently, and a beekeeper may be able to remove a swarm.

The mistake that leads to stings

Hitting a nest with a broom, hosing it down or spraying it from close by with a can of insect spray in the middle of the day. Wasps are at their busiest then, the nest is full, and the whole colony comes out to defend it. If you must deal with a tiny nest yourself, do it at dusk when wasps are less active, from a distance, with a product made for wasps. For anything bigger than a golf ball, call us.

A tip for Garsfontein families

Walk around the jungle gym, wendy house and pool area at the start of every summer, and look underneath the platforms, slide joins and roof panels. A nest there in October is a few wasps and an easy job. By February it can be a colony right where the kids climb. It's a five-minute check and it saves a lot of tears.

Wasps are also drawn to sweet drinks and meat at outdoor meals, so cover food and drinks at a braai and keep bins closed.

What does wasp nest removal cost?

It depends on how many nests there are, how big they are and how easy they are to reach. A single small nest under a low eave is quick. Several nests on a double-storey home, inside a roof space, or high up on a patio roof take more time and equipment. A nest the size of a coin on a low window frame can sometimes be dealt with yourself at dusk with a wasp spray, and we'll say so if that's the case.

Wasps are just one part of our flying insect control in Garsfontein, which also covers flies and mosquitoes. For the full city-wide service, see wasp control in Pretoria. We remove plenty of nests from patio roofs in Faerie Glen homes too, and you'll find the rest of our local services on the Garsfontein pest control page.

If wasps rebuild on a treated spot within three months, we come back under our guarantee. To get a nest sorted, call 012 012 5526, or WhatsApp a picture of the nest and where it is.