Hornet Nest Control & Removal - Portishead
As Heard on BBC Radio
European Hornets (Vespa crabro) - FAQ's
Are European Hornets in The UK Protected By Law?
No - but in our opinion, the control of European Hornets in Portishead should be better regulated. So think very carefully before considering the control of these amazing creatures and avoid the temptation to destroy hornets not causing a direct danger to you.
What Does a Hornets Nest treatment Cost?
Hornet nests or Hornets hives as some people refer to them require real care to control and treat safely. At WaspKill UK our expert insect control services are faster, more thorough and more flexible than many other providers. As a result we are usually on site within hours or even faster if it is an emergency. We do charge a small inspection fee but this is refundable against any treatment carried out.
How Dangerous are European Hornets?
Like all other wasps in Portishead, they are only aggressive when threatened or disturbed (they see this as the same thing). Read more about this in the information below.
Are Hornet Stings Dangerous?
European Hornets have larger, longer stings than other species of native wasps so inject more venom, causing far more pain. That said, it has been reported that the venom is less toxic to us than smaller wasps, however we all react differently to stings, and some people can die from a single sting.
What should I Do If I am Stung?
How Quickly Can You Get To Us?
Our standard, same day Hornet nest control & removal Service is always available, and for extra peace of mind our 24 Hour Emergency Pest Control Service operates 24/7 so help is never far away. Please remember that hornets are robust insects and using products and control methods designed for amateurs to control the smaller species of wasps will not generally work as quickly on hornets. When it comes to a situation of wasps versus hornets, the hornet is more scarce and less likely to attack than smaller wasps unless directly threatened, but if control is a must, keep clear of them and wait for our arrival.
How Do We Book Hornets Nest Control?
Simply Call 01275 858888
10 Reasons Why Choosing WaspKill UK makes sense:
- Local - You are supporting a Local Portishead business offering a personal service
- Value - You save money on future treatments with our loyalty programme
- Trust - You can relax knowing we are well known and have an excellent reputation
- Convenience - You benefit from our weekend and evening pest control service
- Reliable - You Know we turn up when we promise to
- Quality - All your work is done properly - we never take short cuts or use low quality materials
- Code of Practice - We adhere to the BPCA code of practice
- Advice - FREE advice when you need it, so you can always make an informed decision
- Training - ongoing CPD ensures our service to you continues to improve
- Health & Safety - We take this very seriously and have a Written Health & Safety policy
The European Hornet - Facts & FAQ's:
Length: 20 - 40mm
Eyes: Shaped like a C and deeply indented
Antennae: Males have 13 segments, Females have 12 segments
Abdomen: Males have 7 visible segments, Females have 6 visible segments - Orange with brown stripes
Wings: Reddish - orange
The European Hornet (vespa crabro) is found across Portishead and in particular woodland valleys. It is the largest eusocial wasp in Europe and is among the most impressive of all British insects, and at over 35mm long the Queen is a magnificent sight. You always know when these are around as they produce an unmestakeable and loud buzz not wildly disimilar to the noise made by the little scooters also known as vespas. You decide.
We are commonly called to suspected Hornets nests across Portishead at the start of the year in April and May, but these are almost always queens of other species preparing new nests or looking for suitable nesting sites. It is not until mid July that we get the calls to deal with massive wasps and know that this time it is likely to be the real thing.
A mature hornets nest can contain as many as 700 mature adults and will consume thousands of insects every day from within a radius of around 3000 meters. This can be extremely beneficial to the Portishead gardener, and is a powerful plus point to the usefulness of these insects. They have nests that resemble upside down buckets. The waste from a large nest can cause structural water damage to walls and ceilings costing many hundreds of pounds to repair.
As with all wasps, Hornets will defend their nests just as other species will, however once you are within three meters of the nest as long as you do not vibrate (Gardeners with mowers and strimmers beware), breath on the nest, interrupt their flight path or make sudden jerky movements you are unlikely to be attacked and stung. When stung you should consider that scientific tests have shown Hornet venom to be 1.7 - 15 times less toxic than honey bee venom. Bees are naturally more at risk from foraging vertebrate predators like badgers etc, and for this reason the bee has a sting that continues to deliver venom even after its death. Hornets however cannot afford to be wasteful as they require venom to subdue insect prey, thus there sting lacks barbs. The sting of the Hornet is likely to be more painful than that of other wasps and bees not because of the venom delivery dose but due to its chemical composition. It contains acetylcholine, efficiently stimulating pain receptors.
The Hornet was once a relatively common site throughout Portishead and southern England, yet during the 20th century its numbers went into decline, only to experience a recovery in recent years. Conservation is therefore essential, and support for this impressive wasp should be carefully considered. In some countries, notably Germany, it has been illegal to kill the European hornet or destroy their nests since 1 January 1987, with a fine up to 50,000 Euros.
Where control is felt absolutely necessary, re-siting of Hornets nests has been done successfully and for this reason, could be seen as a billable option for the customer to consider where they are environmentally conscientious and you have the expertise and an appropriate place to safely re-site the nest.
So we now know that Hornets can certainly pack a powerful sting and just the site of one can create anxiety in many people. In reality however, as long as you stay out of the flight path to their nest, they are unlikely to sting or attack. Once captured prey is dismembered and only the thorax with its flight muscles is returned to the nest.
Pest Control Advice:
Getting rid of Hornets and other insects like ants, wasps and bedbugs is not as simple as many pesticide manufacturers will lead you to believe. The chemicals or poisons on offer in supermarkets and shops often have a fraction of the effect that is achieved through professional products and this means you are likely to get through many cans of treatment without actually achieving full control. As the only Cornish pest control company offering a dedicated insect control service we are able to deliver pest control treatments that are often guaranteed to work.
Pest control is all about understanding the pest you are trying to eliminate or prevent. The Wasp for example creates a wasp nest early in the year so if you wanted to control wasps in Portishead you would probably guess that checking for a new wasp nest in your loft in April and May would allow you to remove a wasp nest safely before it became too large. By understanding your pest, you are able to plan control in advance, before infestation occurs and the cost of elimination becomes high.
Areas our pest control & Wasp removal service covers in Somerset and Portishead include:
Abbots Leigh - Ashton - Backwell - Barrow - Bath - Bedminster - Bedminster Down - Bishopsworth - Blagdon - Bradley Stoke - Bridgewater - Bristol - Chew Magna - Chew Stoke - Cleeve - Clevedon - Clifton - Clifton Wood - Congresbury - Cotham - East Harptree - Exeter - Failand - Farleigh - Filton - Flax Bourton - Ham Green - Horfield - Leigh Woods - Long Ashton - Lulsgate - Nailsea - Patchway - Pill - Portishead - Sneyd Park - Southville - St Pauls - Tickenham - Totterdown - Ubley - West Harptree - Weston-Super-Mare - Whichurch Windmill Hill - Wraxall and Yatton.