Hornets & wasps · North Arkansas
Put the spray can down. We've got the nest.
Wasp and hornet nests start small in spring and get big by late summer. That's also when yellowjackets get mean. A nest by the door, in the ground where you mow or inside a wall is worth a call, especially if anyone in the house is allergic.
- Biggest nests
- August to October
- Starts
- Spring
- Where
- Eaves, ground, walls
- Risk
- Stings, allergies
Signs
How to tell what you're dealing with
- Gray paper umbrella under the eavesOpen cells hanging from a single stalk. Paper wasps. Usually calm unless you get close.
- Wasps going in and out of the groundA steady stream at a hole in the yard or under a landscape timber. Yellowjackets, and you don't want to hit it with a mower.
- Buzzing or chewing inside a wallYellowjackets or European hornets have built inside the wall. Don't seal the hole.
- Gray football-shaped nest in a tree or on the eavesBald-faced hornets. Big nests and they defend them hard.
Where they hide
Where they build
Paper wasps build under eaves, porch ceilings, shutters, swing sets and the grill cover.
Yellowjackets nest in the ground, in old rodent holes, landscape timbers, and sometimes in wall voids and attics.
European hornets use hollow trees, barns and wall voids. They fly at night and bump into lit windows.
Know what you've got
The ones we see around here
Paper wasp
Long legs that dangle when it flies. Brown or reddish with yellow marks. Open umbrella nests.
Yellowjacket
Black and bright yellow, short and stocky. Ground and wall nests. Stings more than once and gets worse in late summer.
Bald-faced hornet
Black and white. Builds big gray paper nests in trees and on eaves.
European hornet
Brown and yellow and over an inch long. Nests in hollow trees and walls. Flies at night.
Mud dauber
Thin black or blue wasp that builds mud tubes on walls and ceilings. Not aggressive.
Our process
How we handle nests
Every job starts with a free inspection. Most homes end up on our quarterly plan, which includes free re-treats between visits. See the plans.
Find the nest
We confirm what it is and find every entrance, including ones inside walls.
Treat it
We treat early or late in the day when the colony is home, with the right product for open nests, ground nests or wall voids.
Remove it
Once the nest is dead we take it down where we can reach it. Confirm they remove nests.
Keep them off
On quarterly service we knock down new nests before they get big.
Before we get there
What you can do today
- Knock down small paper wasp nests early in spring, before they grow.
- Keep trash cans closed and clean up fallen fruit in late summer.
- Mark ground nests so nobody mows over them.
- Call if anyone at home is allergic to stings.
What not to do
- Don't pour gasoline down a ground nest. It's a fire risk and poisons the soil.
- Don't seal the hole to a wall nest. They chew through the drywall into the house.
- Don't swat at them near the nest.
FAQ
Hornets & wasps questions
What's the difference between a wasp and a hornet?
Hornets are a kind of wasp. Around here, "hornet" usually means a bald-faced hornet or a European hornet. Both build paper nests and defend them hard.
Will they come back to the same nest?
They don't reuse old paper nests, but a good spot gets used again by a new queen next year. Knocking down new nests early keeps them from settling.
Why are yellowjackets so bad in the fall?
The colony is at its biggest and food is getting scarce, so they get pushy around trash, drinks and picnics.
Do I need to be home?
Not for most outside nests. For a nest in a wall we may need to get inside. Confirm.
Keep reading
Other pests we treat
Think you've got hornets & wasps?
We'll come out, find what you've got, and tell you what it takes. No charge, no pressure.