How to Get Rid of a Wasp Nest Safely - and When to Call a Pro

First: Are You Sure It's Wasps?

Before doing anything, confirm you are dealing with wasps and not bees. Bees are protected pollinators in Ireland and should never be sprayed - honey bees can be relocated by a beekeeper, and bumblebee nests die out naturally by autumn. Wasps are glossy yellow-and-black with a narrow waist and build papery grey nests; bees are hairier and rounder. If in any doubt, read our full guide on telling a wasp nest from a bees' nest before you act.

What You Can Safely Do Yourself

There are a few genuinely safe, sensible steps a homeowner can take - none of which involve tackling an active nest directly:

• 1Keep your distance and keep others away - cordon off the area, especially from children and pets. Do not let anyone stand directly beneath a nest.
• 2Close windows and doors on the side of the house near the nest, especially in the evening.
• 3Avoid provoking them - do not throw things at the nest, block the entrance, or shine bright lights on it at night. All of these trigger a defensive response.
• 4Remove food attractants - cover sweet food and drinks outdoors, keep bins closed, and clear fallen fruit, which draws foraging wasps late in the season.
• 5Wait, if the nest is out of the way - a nest in a far corner of a large garden, well away from where people go, will die out naturally by late autumn and can sometimes simply be left.

What You Should NEVER Do

The reason all of these are so dangerous comes down to one thing: when a wasp nest is threatened, the wasps release an alarm pheromone that summons the whole colony to attack. A single wasp can sting repeatedly, and a disturbed nest can deliver dozens of stings in seconds. Every summer, Irish emergency departments treat people who tried to deal with a nest themselves and ended up badly stung - or worse, fell from a ladder doing it.

Why Shop-Bought Wasp Sprays Often Fail

The wasp sprays and powders you can buy in a hardware shop can work on a small, exposed nest treated correctly and cautiously. But most nests that bother people are not small and exposed - they are in roofs, cavities and eaves, where the spray simply cannot reach the queen and the core of the colony. The result is a partially treated, highly agitated nest that is now more dangerous than before. Professional treatments use different products and application methods specifically designed to carry the active ingredient into the heart of the nest.

When to Call a Professional

Call a professional pest controller if any of the following apply - which, for most Dublin homes, means most of the time:

• 1The nest is in a roof space, wall cavity, or anywhere above head height.
• 2Anyone in the household has a wasp or bee sting allergy.
• 3The nest is large (typically later in the summer).
• 4You cannot treat it from a stable, safe position on the ground.
• 5A previous DIY attempt has failed and the wasps are now more aggressive.
• 6You are simply not comfortable doing it - there is no shame in that; it is the sensible call.

Preventing Wasps Next Year

Once this season's nest is gone, a few simple steps reduce the chance of a new one next year: in early spring, check for and seal gaps under eaves, around air bricks and roof tiles where queens look to nest; keep bins sealed; and check sheds and outbuildings early in the season, when a new nest is only golf-ball sized and far easier to deal with. A single new queen founding a nest in April is a much smaller problem than a football-sized nest in August.