y wife phoned the above-named company on 5th November 2006 regarding a wasps nest in the attic of our house. She got their number out of the telephone directory. A man in a plain blue van called out the following day and, from our back garden ,assembled a 25-foot approximate length of tubing on top of which was a gas cannister which, he claimed, sprayed a fine dusting powder. He aimed this thing at the points on the eve of the house - under the roof tiles - where the wasps (dozens of them) could be seen coming and going .

He charged €85 Euro and asked that the activity of the wasps be observed from the back garden by us and that, if within three days, the wasps were still there, we ring him - he gave us a mobile phone number. Three days later we rang him - no change re the wasp situation - and he called back to us and repeated the above process. He again told us three days etc, and that he will be back next time - if needed - with the equipment required to enter the attic and remove the dead wasps and their nest. Three days later I rang him on his mobile - straight to answer service - no change re the wasp situation : dozens of them coming and going - two days later, with no reply from, or sign of, the wasp man, I rang the mobile again, and left the same message on, again, the answering service .

Another two days with no contact from him or anyone in Grove Services, I rang their land-line but it made a sound similar to that of the fax machine - no use - so rang his mobile - again, straight to answer service. Done the same the following day - with the same 'results'. Found out they have an Office in Derry - rang the number - 'No Such Number, Dial Again...'.

It is now (Tuesday 28 November ) 22 days after they first called, and I have left messages for them practically every second day since they originally called to our house with their telescopic device. No reply from them to any of the messages I left for them - in my opinion, they are a decidedly dodgy outfit who move in, give the appearance of knowing what they are doing, charge €85 (in this case) and promise to keep calling back, if necessary, until the problem is solved (as the man promised to my wife on his first visit) - and then they disappear. The wasps are now in our house - I phoned Grove on both landline and mobile to tell them this... and 'fax machine' answered the landline while mobile call went directly to answer-service. In my opinion, they are cowboys out to fleece the unsuspecting public. I would strongly advise anyone reading this to have no dealings with Grove Services Group, Neolith Buildings, Davitt Road, Inchicore, Dublin 12 (01-4559512) as they will only add to your problems.

Grove Services Group,
Neolith Buildings,
Davitt Road,
Dublin 12.
Tel/Fax - 01 4559512