If you’ve started noticing more wasps flying around your garden, patio or roof during July, you’re certainly not imagining it. This is the time of year when wasp colonies begin to grow rapidly, making them much more visible around homes and businesses across York and North Yorkshire.
Understanding why they’re suddenly appearing can help you spot a developing nest before it becomes a much bigger problem.
July is when wasp colonies become busy
During spring, a queen wasp starts a new nest on her own. At first, there are only a handful of workers, so most people never notice them.
By July, that small nest may now contain hundreds of wasps. With so many workers leaving the nest every day to search for food, the chances of seeing them around your property increase dramatically.
This is why people often tell us that the wasps seemed to appear almost overnight.
Where are wasps building nests?
At this time of year, we commonly find nests in:
- Roof spaces
- Lofts
- Garages
- Garden sheds
- Wall cavities
- Air bricks
- Under roof tiles
- Bird boxes
- Dense hedges
Many nests remain hidden from view, with only the entrance visible as wasps repeatedly fly in and out of the same small gap.
Why are wasps interested in your garden?
Worker wasps spend much of the day searching for food.
They are attracted by:
- Sweet drinks
- Fallen fruit
- Ripe berries
- Barbecues
- Pet food
- Household bins
- Compost bins
If you’re eating outside, it’s perfectly normal to see wasps investigating food and drink. However, if several are repeatedly appearing from the same direction, it may indicate a nearby nest.
Signs you may have a nest nearby
You don’t always need to see the nest itself.
Look out for:
- A steady stream of wasps using the same hole or gap.
- Wasps disappearing beneath roof tiles.
- Regular activity around a shed or garage.
- Buzzing coming from inside a wall or roof space.
- Increasing numbers each week.
Ignoring these signs often allows the colony to continue growing throughout the summer.
Should you remove a wasp nest yourself?
Trying to deal with a wasp nest yourself is rarely a good idea.
Disturbing the nest can cause hundreds of wasps to defend it at once, increasing the risk of multiple stings.
Sprays bought from shops are often unsuitable for larger nests or those hidden inside buildings, and may only affect the wasps near the entrance.
Professional wasp nest removal
A trained pest controller can identify where the nest is located, apply the correct treatment and advise when it is safe to return to the area.
In most cases, activity begins to reduce quickly after treatment before the colony dies out completely.
Wasp nest removal across York and North Yorkshire
If you’ve noticed increasing wasp activity around your home or business, it’s worth having it checked before the colony grows even larger.
Pest Assured provides wasp nest removal throughout York and the surrounding areas, helping homeowners and businesses deal with wasp problems safely and efficiently.