Gordon's Bay Wasp Control

Gordon's Bay is a harbour village tucked into the corner of False Bay, with houses stacked up the mountainside and holiday flats near the beach.

Wasp nests in Gordon's Bay

Paper wasps nest under eaves, in garages and in sheltered corners of decks and balconies in Gordon's Bay. The strong South-Easter keeps them to the sheltered side of the house, and nests grow quickly through summer.

We treat and remove nests and check other sheltered spots around the house while we're there. Nests are also common in braai covers, under outdoor tables and inside the frames of sliding gates, and they're often found by guests in a holiday home that has stood empty. Calling in early spring, when nests are the size of a coin, is quicker and safer. If someone is allergic or a nest is by a door, tell us and we'll prioritise it.

Homes are built up the slopes of the Hottentots Holland mountains, many with sea views, split levels and retaining walls. Holiday flats and apartment blocks sit near the beach and harbour, and many homes are holiday properties. Restaurants around the harbour bring commercial work.

From the technician

Wasps are attracted to water as much as food. A dripping tap or a pool edge can keep them coming back to a garden all summer.

What gives them away

How the treatment works

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

• Pick up fallen fruit and grapes promptly, because ripe fruit draws foraging wasps in late summer.
• 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.
• Keep outdoor bins closed and clean up after a braai, as wasps scavenge meat and sweet drinks.

What affects the price

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.

Wasp Control questions from Gordon's Bay

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