Pest controller's warning to homeowners after finding '1,000 wasps' in huge nest

27 October 2023 , 08:01

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Luke Pomfret, of Pest Free Pest Control, discovered a huge wasp's nest at a house in Healing (Image: Submitted Image)

A pest control team has issued a warning to homeowners after discovering a "huge" wasp's nest in a village property.

Luke Pomfret, owner of Pest Free Pest Control, found the largest nest he'd seen this year, housing around 1,000 wasps. He described how they were under the roof tiles and the owners feared being stung. Luke, who started his business after leaving the Army, said he was "shocked" by the size of the nest, adding it was the biggest one they'd seen this year.

Now, the Grimbsy-based man is warning others to be careful.

The nest was the largest Luke's seen all year (Submitted Image)

He told GrimsbyLive: "The customer had noticed wasps going under the roof tiles and felt there was a high risk of being stung," and "We were taken aback when we found the huge nest." He added: "We were a little shocked by the size of it. It's probably the biggest we have seen all year."

"Normally I can come and remove a nest in one visit, but because of how big this one was we had to come once to treat it and then come back to remove it. If I'd tried to remove it the first time it could have been a big problem. There must have been hundreds if not a thousand wasps in there."

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"I wanted a job when I left the forces and decided to go for pest control. I thought I would be good at it and that I would enjoy it so I just went for it and have built it up over the years. I love my job, so there's no plans on stopping what I'm doing."

He added: "For some people insects might not be the easiest of things to deal with, but after a while you just get used to it. You deal with all sorts of people and animals that it just becomes a second nature."

With winter approaching, it is common for wasps to seek warmth by entering homes. With this in mind, Luke is urging homeowners to remain vigilant. "If you have a nest be very careful, especially if it is a big one. If you try and tackle it yourself without professional help and equipment you will get seriously hurt. My advice is to leave it alone and call someone like myself to come and deal with it."

He added: "At this time of year, it's especially common for wasps to try and enter people's homes by following lights so people need to make sure any nests they have are removed. If you've left one there is a high chance that wasps could start entering the home. If people are worried about a nest they should leave it alone and call for an expert to come and take a look to make sure they're not at risk."

* An AI tool was used to add an extra layer to the editing process for this story. You can report any errors to [email protected]

Luke Green