How big are Wasp Nests in May?

How big are Wasp Nests in May?

Not very big is the answer! The picture here shows the actual size of the wasp nest in my shed on 31st May. It’s the same wasp nest shown in the previous photo with the hook on it. It’s still tiny and certainly there no wasps inside it yet – not even any eggs. There’s still a while to go yet.

Queen wasps do emerge earlier in the year and this does confuse some people into thinking they have an early wasp nest.

Wasps are not really active until July. Bees start first.

 

When do Wasp Nests start and how?

When do wasp nests start? You can quite clearly see here a new queen wasp crawling over a new stalk she has made that is fixed from inside a shed roof. This forms the very start of a wasp nest that could be up to 12-foot across at the end of summer!

The second photo here shows the stalk without the queen wasp on it. She has probably just flown out for something to eat. She’ll return soon. This photo was taken on 23rd April 2019.

Low Cost Pest Control Norfolk & Norwich

We undertake all aspects of Pest Control Services for both Domestic & Commercial properties throughout all the Norwich & Norfolk areas.

Our business offers a Professional and Low Cost Service with a Fast Response. With over 25-years experience we are one of the top pest control businesses in Norfolk and offer free, unbiased advice for your pest control issue.

Norfolk & Norwich Pest Control are also contractors to local businesses to keep their premises protected from insect and vermin infestation.

The Pest Control Services we offer In Norfolk & Norwich include, but not restricted to:

Bedbug Removal
Wasp Nest Removal
Moth control – clothes moth
Carpet Moth
Cockroach Control
Ant Problems
Rat Control
Mouse control
Woodworm control
Clearance and sanitisation of lofts and rooms
And much more . . . . .

CALL RICHARD FOR NO OBLIGATION QUOTE!!

Either click on the link below or call for an appointment today on: 01603 905530 and speak to the owner operator for Norfolk & Norwich Pest Control Richard Pummell

Norwich homes infested by fleas

Does your home have a cat or dog flea infestation and no matter what you use to control them, why are they still there? Why is that and where are fleas from.

You’re not alone. Many households across Norfolk experienced the same problem this year and suffered from itchy bites to the ankles and legs and needed a fast flea removal service. Some bites are quite aggressive and a trip to the doctor can be required. Fleas are active right through the year and not just restricted to the warmer summer months. Fleas love heat so if your house is kept warm and you or your cat inadvertently pick up one or two fleas you can bring them back home as unwanted non-paying guests. They even get free food – your blood!

Don’t invest too much money on flea bombs or sprays as they are not very effective. That’s what many of our Norwich customers have told us when they ring for specialist advice and flea eradication from us.

Remember, cats and dogs can get tapeworms too by ingesting an infected flea whilst grooming. Therefore, you need to see your vet for qualified advice on flea and tapeworm control. Also bear in mind that about 90%  of fleas live in your house and just 10 % on your pet so to get rid of fleas it’s essential to have a pest control fumigation for fleas by a pest control specialist.

If you need help or advice on flea control or need to book a treatment, please call us on 01603 905530.

Rats in walls of Norwich outbuilding

Horror- rats in walls of home in Norwich, Norfolk - removal

Rats were causing lights to go out within an a Norfolk home

Having received a call-out for an infestation of rats following complaints of gnawing at night and loss of electrics, the owners decided to call Norfolk & Norwich Pest Control to investigate. However, the brief was to only identify where the rats were.What caught our eye was we were able to take this photo within the wall cavity. A small telescopic camera revealed their presence and a panel was cut in the wall of the outbuilding. Returning the next day, the panel was carefully removed and a photo with flash caught the family of young rats ready for night out. The holes in the building were blocked and the rats were never seen again. It was a one-off sighting. (You can click the picture to enlarge it)

Bumblebee populations increase

We have noted a steady increase in the number of calls for advice on bumblebees in Norfolk, especially Norwich. Most calls come through as an enquiry to destroy the nest. Due to the high number of calls we teamed up with organisations across Norfolk to preserve them by way of offering advice. Key issues surrounding callers are as follows in terms of concern: mistaking them for wasps or honeybees, ‘will they sting?’, concerns with children, pets and livestock and lastly aversion to this order of insects.

There are 24 species of bumblebee in the UK, although only a few are common in the garden or attached to your house. Bumblebees have been found nesting in Norfolk within the soffit of the roof, wall cavities, loft spaces and bird boxes. Bird boxes are ideal if they contain an old bird nest.

Unlike wasps, bumble bees are quite placid and do not usually sting. However, there are circumstances when you may need professional advice on what to do or how to identify them. Norfolk & Norwich Pest Control are recognised as an informative source to identify, advise and hopefully preserve bumblebees and you can call us on 01603 905530 for further information.

Bedbugs on the increase in Norfolk

Bedbug infestations are slowly on the increase in Norwich and areas of Norfolk. Twenty years ago we’d never seen a bed bug. Due to the rise in the number of people travelling or working out of Norfolk, bedbugs can easily be spread in baggage and second hand furniture. Be careful when buying used mattresses, beds, luggage cases, bags, clothing. Your risk of infestation will dramatically increase. Norfolk & Norwich Pest Control are bedbug specialists and provide free advice. JUNE 2013

Wasp nest removal at a low price in Norwich and across Norfolk

We’re beating our competitors hands down in Norwich and across Norfolk for getting rid of your wasp nest again this year. Now in 2016, we still love making you happy to keep you wasp and sting-free. Have you been quoted over £60.00 for a standard wasp nest removal? Unless you’ve got hard earned money to burn, come to us. All work is covered by our guarantee of workmanship. We are contractors to most of Norwich’s letting agents and they entrust us with their work – so can you. After 20 years of controlling wasps we know how to eradicate wasp nests. My name is Richard Pummell and you can call me direct on 07999 805003 or 01603 905530. I am a wasp control expert. You’ll speak to me direct with no secretary, call centre or a usually disinterested pest control service manager. Also, we are fully insured and not a gardener controlling wasps in our spare time. I am directly responsible – how many people say that?

However, if you want to pay more – feel free. All pest control companies use the same insecticide to control wasps which is either bendiocarb or permethrin dust. It costs about £1.33 per shot and the rest is a labour charge (and running costs). It’s not rocket science, just how much profit a company wishes to make.

About wasps. Last year, due to cooler winds that were been backing from a northerly direction earlier in the year, wasps were slow to become a major pest in Norfolk. The first wasp nest removal in Norfolk we carried out in 2015 was during early May in Dereham. To date north Norwich, Watton and Wymondham have had the highest number of wasp and hornet nests received by the office. However, like last year the number of wasp nests throughout the England is way down in numbers. Experts believe that wasps nests were down by an incredible 80% in 2014 compared to 2013 – Except Yorkshire!  Being temperature dependent insects, wasps will need some high temperatures throughout summer. Norfolk & Norwich Pest Control carry out a professional wasp and hornet nest eradication service for all of Norwich and Norfolk. Will it be a bad year for wasp stings in 2016? Will you avoid wasp stings?

Where do wasps come from? When a queen wasp emerges from her hibernaculum on a warm sunny day in spring, she commences to build a new nest from scratch that will initially be golf ball size and have a capacity of 15-20 cells. After laying eggs into individual cells, she will care and protect them as they emerge into grubs. As they remain at this stage of their life cycle, she will need to feed them with a constant assortment of garden insect material.

Many people ask me what functions do wasps have. The answer always is they are very beneficial to the gardener. Wasps forage for flies, caterpillars, greenflies etc to feed their grubs. If a nest generates several thousand wasps in the span of it’s life, that’s an awful lot of pests that are removed from the garden – without the use of insecticide. However, perhaps the negative aspects of wasps outweigh the single benefit. Best to have the nest removed.

The good news is that if warmth-loving insects such as wasps are going to do well this summer that means all insects will. This is of great benefit to our garden bird population that heavily depend on an early abundant insect population for their offspring. More on wasps later.

From the author, Richard Pummell, March 2016

Trichomonosis jumps species barrier from feral pigeons

Trichomonosis, a disease in birds caused by a microscopic parasite has killed up to an estimated third of greenfinches and a third of chaffinches in the UK. Trichomonosis is common throughout feral pigeons and doves with up to 80% carrying the parasite. The columbid parasite jumped the species barrier from pigeons and doves into garden birds such as greenfinces and sparrows. Since then, outbreaks have been seen every year during the late summer and autumn. The pandemic started in the UK but has now spread to Scandinavia and northern continental Europe.

If trichomonosis is suspected and dead or ill garden birds are found, the RSPB advise to temporarily stop feeding birds and carry out basic cleaning of feeders, surfaces where birds may rest and areas where they can obtain water. This is designed to stop the parasite spreading. Further information can be obtatined by visiting www.rspb.org.uk and www.wildaboutbritain.co.uk

The University of East Anglia contacted Norfolk & Norwich Pest Control recently to confirm they have identified the genetic strain responsible and are trying to find its source in a range of pigeons and doves.

If you are concerned about feral pigeon infestation at your home or business call us to discuss a solution on 01603 905530.

Fruit Flies invade Norwich

Plagues of Fruit Flies have been infesting pubs, restaurants and even homes across Norwich and parts of south Norfolk over the past week or two due to our early warm spring. They are small, annoying flies that favour fermenting fluids and semi-solids like beer, wine, fruit juices and ripe fruit. Fruit Flies hover about head-height and are nearly impossible to catch. They are quite rare in these numbers, particulary outside in the UK.

Here are some tips on how to control fruit fly from the professionals. Drosophila (Fruit Flies) belong to the family Drosophilidae of which there are over 1,500 species. They are a biologists favourite in sequencing DNA due to their rapid breeding cycle, and potential to lay up to five hundred eggs in ten days at their optimum temperature of 28 centigrade. Don’t spray them unless using a knock-down spray (always read the label) – use a trap. Traps are very cheap to use and effective. You can call us to advise how to set them up. Also, put your fruit in the fridge and ensure all your bins are disinfected. Cover up beer and wine when enjoying a meal outside, or having a barbeque. Alternatively, call us to carry out a free site survey on 01603 905530. APRIL 2011.