Goodwood straddles Voortrekker Road, with older family homes on the quiet streets and shops, workshops and takeaways on the main drag.
Wasp nests in Goodwood
Paper wasps nest under the eaves of Goodwood's freestanding homes, in outside rooms and garages, and inside meter boxes. The hot inland summers help nests grow quickly from spring, and by late summer a nest can have dozens of wasps.
We treat the nest, take it down once the wasps are dead and check the other eaves and outbuildings while we're there. Calling early in spring, when nests are small, is quicker and safer.
Residential streets are lined with post-war freestanding homes, many with tiled roofs, outside rooms and big backyards. Voortrekker Road and the streets off it carry shops, motor workshops, takeaways and flats above businesses. Older homes often have suspended timber floors and old roof timbers. Larger venues and the showgrounds bring crowds and food stalls when events are on.
From the technician
For body corporates and estate managers, one property owner removing nests while the neighbours do nothing just means wasps move next door. A coordinated plan works far better.
How to tell you have a problem
Tick every sign you have noticed. It takes ten seconds.
Why it matters: Paper wasps sting when their nest is disturbed, and they can sting more than once, which is a real danger for anyone with a sting allergy and a misery for children playing outside. Nests in letterboxes, gate motors and garden furniture lead to stings because people touch them without seeing the nest. On farms and in the Winelands, Polistes damages soft fruit and grapes and gets in the way of harvest work. Because the species is invasive, every nest left alone produces new queens that start more nests nearby the following spring.
Our process, step by step
For ongoing wasp control we combine nest treatment with prevention rather than coming out once a year to remove whatever has grown. Active nests are treated with an insecticidal dust or spray applied directly into the comb, usually early in the morning or late in the day when the wasps are on the nest, and the comb is taken down once the colony is dead. On properties with repeat problems we do a sweep in early spring to find and remove young founding nests while they are small, and we can apply a residual treatment to favourite nesting spots such as eaves and pergolas. We also look at what is drawing wasps in, like water points, fallen fruit and open bins, and give practical advice on fixing it. For farms, estates and complexes, scheduled visits through the wasp season keep numbers under control instead of letting them build up.
Want the full step-by-step? See how our wasp control service works.
Keeping them out afterwards
- Keep outdoor bins closed and clean up after a braai, as wasps scavenge meat and sweet drinks.
- Check garden furniture, umbrellas and the inside of letterboxes before using them in summer.
- Seal holes in hollow gate posts, steel poles and roller door channels with a cap or sealant.
- Walk around the house once a week from September and knock down any nest smaller than a coin with a long pole, at dusk, wearing long sleeves.
- Pick up fallen fruit and grapes promptly, because ripe fruit draws foraging wasps in late summer.
How much will it cost?
Wasp control is priced on how many nests there are, how high and hard to reach they are, and whether you want a once-off treatment or ongoing visits through the season. A house with one or two nests at ladder height is a straightforward job, while farms, estates and complexes with nests spread over many buildings take longer. For properties that get wasps every year, a seasonal plan usually saves money compared to repeated call-outs, and the quote is free.
Knocking down a tiny new nest in spring is a reasonable DIY job if you are not allergic and you do it at dusk. Once a nest is bigger than your palm, or it is high up, inside a wall or near where children play, we would rather you left it to us, because most of the stings we hear about come from people tackling a big nest with a can of spray in daylight. And if wasps keep coming back every year, the problem is the property and the neighbourhood, not one nest.
Frequently asked questions
How quickly can you remove a wasp nest?
Our average turnaround is around 48 hours, depending on the season. If a nest is right by a door or someone is allergic, tell us, and we can arrange an after-hours or weekend visit on request.
Do wasp traps work?
They catch some foraging wasps, but they rarely reduce the number of nests and can attract more wasps to your garden. Finding and treating the nests works much better.
Can you look after a whole estate or farm?
Yes. We do scheduled wasp checks for estates, complexes and farms through the season, with a report after each visit.
Why do wasps keep coming back to my house every year?
Paper wasps like the same sheltered spots, and new queens often start nests close to where they were born. Removing nests early in spring and making those spots less attractive breaks the cycle.
How quickly can you remove a wasp nest in Goodwood?
Our average turnaround is about 48 hours. If a nest is near a door or someone is allergic, tell us and we'll prioritise it.
Is it safe to spray a nest myself?
It is risky with a large nest, because a can of spray rarely kills the whole colony and the survivors get very defensive. Small nests at dusk are another story.
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