Problem with Wasps

[gwynbet45]

I woke up this morning to find around 20 wasps in my bathroom - the light was on all night as my 3 year old daughter needs it to help her sleep and the window was open but on the latch. Thankfully, the wasps weren't very active, i.e. they were in a trance like state. We have been living at our current address for nearly 10 years now and this has never happened before. Is it due to the time of year and is it likely to happen again if we leave the window open or the light on?

[Matt Smith]

Originally Posted by gwynbet45

Is it due to the time of year and is it likely to happen again if we leave the window open or the light on?

Yes and yes, at least until the wasps die off later on in the autumn. I would suggest you have a nest fairly close to the bathroom window for this to happen, havea look up at the eaves near the window.

[Dillybythesea]

Hi gwynbet and welcome to WAB! I'll be interested to hear what the experts say, but I've not heard of common wasps being attracted to light. I have heard they seek warmth though, so perhaps that could be it. And it's around this time of year that the wasp colony will be coming to an end, and, if you happened to have a one in the vicinity this year, there might be a gang of redundant males looking for somewhere warm to spend the night. I don't see how it could become an ongoing problem because they're not looking to set up home - they'll die of cold before winter - it's only a few young fertilised females that go off to hibernate, and I believe they do that alone, and of course in quiet, dark places, not in well-lit bathrooms.

[Dillybythesea]

Hi again qwynbet. I didn't see Matt's before I posted mine, but of course he's absolutely right that in the short term they'll want to come in again, just not going to be a long-term issue!