Do I need to remove wasps nest in roof?

rainbow_fountains

Our attic was converted into a 2nd floor bedroom by the previous owner (10 years ago) so we have no accessible roof eaves like you would in a normal attic. 

I can hear a large amount of wasps in the eaves, and if I leave the velux window open we get a few wasps come in sometimes. 

There’s a constant ‘crackling’ noise in the room, and if you press your ear to the plaster you can hear a lot of buzzing.

Obviously we can’t get to the nest from inside the house (short of punching a hole through the plastered wall), so removing tiles from the roof outside would be the only way to get to it. They sound very close to the inside of the wall.

my question is, do I need to do anything about this? Are they dangerous? Can they damage the house? If not, I’ll just leave them and hope they die off in the winter frosts. The noise is annoying but it’s a room we only use for storage, so it’s not an issue.

Keep_pedalling

They are not dangerous, and they will cause no damage. Any queens in the nest will be dispersing now and the remaining workers will die off as their food supply runs out. The nest site will not be used again next year so no need to take any action.

Eldi_Dos

Keep_pedalling said:

They are not dangerous, and they will cause no damage. Any queens in the nest will be dispersing now and the remaining workers will die off as their food supply runs out. The nest site will not be used again next year so no need to take any action.

    When do you think it would be safe/advisable to remove such a nest?

Keep_pedalling

Eldi_Dos said:

Keep_pedalling said:

They are not dangerous, and they will cause no damage. Any queens in the nest will be dispersing now and the remaining workers will die off as their food supply runs out. The nest site will not be used again next year so no need to take any action.

    When do you think it would be safe/advisable to remove such a nest?

After the first frosts should be safe but I would not bother knocking a hole in the wall to do it.

Eldi_Dos

Keep_pedalling said:

Eldi_Dos said:

Keep_pedalling said:

They are not dangerous, and they will cause no damage. Any queens in the nest will be dispersing now and the remaining workers will die off as their food supply runs out. The nest site will not be used again next year so no need to take any action.

    When do you think it would be safe/advisable to remove such a nest?

After the first frosts should be safe but I would not bother knocking a hole in the wall to do it.

     Have seen a procession of wasps going to and fro under one of our bargeboards so think there may be nest in
      attic so will follow your advice.
     Any tips on how best to remove a defunct nest?

Alanp

Leave the nest wasps are territorial and if they think another nest is there, they won’t build near it

FreeBear

Have a wasp nest under the tiles over a bay window - It has been there for over 20 years now, and I'm not stripping the roof to get to it.

Had made a hole in the ceiling at the opposite end of the bay to install insulation, hence the reason I know the nest is there.

Got another nest up the garden amongst a pile of bamboo roots. Any time I disturb the pile, the little blighters start to swarm. Going to wait until spring before I do anything with the pile.

digannio

We had a small football sized nest in the loft of our old house  years ago and I just left them to live out their life cycle. It was just like a paper ball and no damage caused anywhere. They are not re-used no no further nests were built. The number of wasps using your nest will be diminishing by the week now until it will be none at all. Best just leave them to it at this stage.

greensalad

Only if they are bothering you.

Also you don't need to remove tiles. If there is a hole that is big enough for the wasps to get in and out, then it's big enough to inject pesticide into. I had to have the same done in my roof (they were coming in the nearby window and I got stung on my foot in the middle of the night as they were dying on our bathroom floor) and the guy came round and located the hole, injected something into it and they were gone/dead. Nest not removed obviously but no more wasps.

SteveJW

greensalad said: got stung on my foot in the middle of the night as they were dying on our bathroom floor) and the guy came round and located the hole, injected something into it and they were gone/dead. Nest not removed obviously but no more wasps.

Ant killer is very good for killing wasps if you really want to kill them, put around the place they get in.

When the kids were small, I made a blower using a £1 car boot hairdryer and a length of plastic pipe I had laying about

Alternatively if they are not causing a nuisance leave them alone

Postik

I had wasps starting to make a nest in my loft but for whatever reason they abandoned it and didn't finish it.

I did however read that you are best leaving them, and that nests are not re-used after they depart.  The only places I read where it said the nests should be removed were pest control websites touting for business.