Rented House - Wasps in the brickwork

Melaniep101

Hi all

Very quick question for you, as I need to check my tenancy agreement when I get home.

We've been renting our property for just over a year, but we've just noticed wasps making holes in the brickwork at the front of our house. We've also seen them in the front room so they must be getting in somehow. Is this our responsibility to pay for the pest control?

TIA

Melanie

m_13

I think these are likely to be mason bees.

Several species of bees nest in crevices or holes in masonry and are known as "mason" or "mortar" bees (these names are also used for bees that construct their nests from mud). They are most often found in walls that receive sunshine for much of the day. The spaces beneath roofing tiles and behind ventilator grills in walls are also occasionally used as nesting sites by the Red Mason Bee.

Females use naturally-occurring holes in either the bricks themselves or, more usually, in the mortar joints (especially soft mortar, with a high lime or sand content).

Some females may also be able to excavate burrows in intact but soft mortar. Nesting burrows are excavated or enlarged by use of the bee's mandibles, and the resulting spoil is kicked out of the burrow entrance. These bees do not eat the mortar or brickwork, as has sometimes been reported! Some of these bees also construct their nests in holes in paths, the sides of sand pits or in coastal cliffs. Others are opportunists, utilizing almost any cavity of a suitable size, for example nail holes, beetle emergence burrows in timber and even the insides of locks. None of these bees is confined entirely to masonry

We had them in our chimney once (they had bored through the mortar from the outside) and the young bees fell down the chimney, came out from the vent in the blocked up chimney and we came home to lots of bees bumping up against the bedroom window.

Although these bees are solitary nesters (i.e. each female establishes and provisions her own nest independently of others), they sometimes occur in aggregations, with nests very close to one another. The activity around very dense aggregations of mason bees may resemble a small swarm of honeybees.

The sight of bees milling about a wall is the most obvious sign of the presence of these insects, but excavated mortar (which collects in heaps at the base of the brickwork) presents a further clue to their presence.

The most effective means of eradicating the problem is to rake out the affected mortar to a depth of about half an inch and repoint with a hard cement into which they cannot burrow. An insecticidal treatment is not recommended or necessary.
[SIZE=+1][/SIZE]
[SIZE=+1]Mason bees are harmless to humans. Females have stings but are notaggressive and will never attack; to be stung you would have to squeeze a bee between your fingers!
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If the mortar is soft or has holes in it then this a maintenance issue for your landlord.

Melaniep101

Thanks for your quick reply :-)

I guess they could be masonry bees, I've googled some pictures and they look similar to wasps.

My letting agent has said that we are responsible for this but I can't see how we would be! :mad:

maninthestreet

Melaniep101 wrote: »

Thanks for your quick reply :-)

I guess they could be masonry bees, I've googled some pictures and they look similar to wasps.

My letting agent has said that we are responsible for this but I can't see how we would be! :mad:

Why wouldn't you be responsible for this? They aren't rats, they're just wasps or maybe even just bees. You may not have to do anything unless they start to become a real nuisance e.g getting inside the property.

Melaniep101

maninthestreet wrote: »

Why wouldn't you be responsible for this? They aren't rats, they're just wasps or maybe even just bees. You may not have to do anything unless they start to become a real nuisance e.g getting inside the property.

They are coming inside the property. This is causing damage (i.e holes in the motar between the bricks) so surely this is a property maintenance issue.

Procrastinator333

Technically it probably is up to the LL. But. We were in the same position. Instead, work out where all the holes are on the inside of the house. Tape them all up apart from the 1 they use the most. Then get an old metalic sieve you no longer use. Stick the metal to the wall with something. Purchase 3X Cans of Raid. Then hold your breath and fire the can in to the hole for as long as you can. Retire to another room to catch your breath. Repeat until it is all over.

The above took us 20 mins and cost about £5. Yes we could have got the LL to do it, but I think it was far less effort just to do it ourselves.

Anyway, good luck with it!

loulou79_2

Its up to the L/L. We were in the same situation a while back. We just phoned the council, (turns out it was a wasps nest) paid the bill (£45) and took it out of the rent.

greenmoneysaver_2

The LL needs to sort this. Mortar bees can cause alot of damage - if you spray a few holes they just moveto new areas, usually close by.

They like old crumbly mortar and so if they are managing to break into the house the LL really needs to get professional help round to fumigate and then assess repointing.