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Wasp nest removal.
In some circumstances a wasp nest needs to be completely removed if it is blocking an entrance or poses an immediate risk to the public. However if you have a wasp nest that is just in a normal position, for example in your loft, then there are some very good arguments for leaving the nest in its present location after it has been treated.
If a wasp
nest is treated using Ficam D then after the wasps have died, the
dust remains in the nest, it has quite a long shelf life and will sit
there waiting for its next victim. Very often after a nest has been treated,
other wasps from nearby nests will attempt to raid the treated nest as
it is now un-defended. As these “scavenging” wasps enter the
nest, they too get the dust on them and die, so now the treated nest is
actually killing wasps from another nest.
Also if the nest is left in place, in the spring if a queen
wasp decides to take up residence near the treated nest, there is
a good chance that she will investigate the treated nest and succumb to
the dust, and therefore she will die before ever building a new nest.
If your nest needs to be removed for whatever reason, if possible it
is better to have the wasp nest treated,
then once all the wasps have returned to the nest and succumbed to the
insecticide, the nest can then be removed. The removal of the nest will
not be on the same day as treatment and sometimes pest controllers will
charge an extra fee for returning and removing a nest. If a nest is treated
with a quick knock down treatment (foam) and removed straight away, the
wasps that are out foraging when the nest is treated will not have been
killed and will return to the location of the nest and it has been known
for wasps to start rebuilding a nest from scratch after the original was
treated and removed.
If you think you need to have your nest removed, discuss this with your
local wasp controller to find out the best solution.
