One can of spray versus a thousand angry wasps
Every summer in Orlando, someone decides to handle a wasp nest with a hardware-store spray can and a ladder. Sometimes it works. When it does not, it goes wrong fast — paper wasps and hornets defend their nests aggressively, they can sting repeatedly, and a disturbed nest empties in seconds. People with allergies can end up in real danger, and even without allergies, multiple stings are a miserable experience.
The nests show up in the same places every year: under eaves and soffits, inside shutters, under deck rails, in playsets, around pool equipment, and in shrubs near walkways. If foot traffic passes within a few feet of a nest, it is a problem waiting for a bad day.
How professional removal works
We identify the species first — paper wasps, mud daubers, yellow jackets, and hornets all behave differently and nest in different places. Yellow jackets often nest in the ground, which surprises people and changes the approach completely. Then we treat the nest directly, usually in the evening when the colony is home and calm, using products and protective equipment built for the job. After the colony is eliminated, we remove the nest structure where accessible so the pheromones left behind do not attract a new colony to the same spot.
Prevention for next season
Wasps return to successful nesting sites. After removal, we treat the high-risk zones — eaves, soffits, shutters, deck undersides — to discourage rebuilding, and we will point out the gaps and voids where queens overwinter. A spring preventive treatment on those zones stops most nests before they start.
How It Works: Our Nest Removal Process
- Call triage. Tell us where the nest is, how close it is to doors, walkways, play areas, and pools, and whether anyone in the home has sting allergies. Active nests near foot traffic get priority scheduling.
- Species ID. Paper wasps, mud daubers, yellow jackets, and hornets behave differently and nest in different places. The species decides the approach.
- Evening treatment. We treat the nest directly, usually in the evening when the colony is home and calm, using products and protective equipment built for the job.
- Nest removal. Where accessible, we remove the nest structure itself, because old nests leave pheromones that attract new queens to the same spot.
- Prevention. We treat the high-risk zones: eaves, soffits, shutters, deck undersides, to discourage rebuilding next season.
Know what is buzzing
Paper wasps build the open umbrella-shaped nests under eaves and deck rails. They are relatively calm away from the nest but defend it fiercely. Reddish-brown with long legs, hard to miss once you know the shape.
Mud daubers build mud tubes on walls and eaves. They are solitary, rarely sting, and actually hunt spiders. Most mud dauber nests are a cosmetic issue, not a danger, and we will tell you when removal is optional.
Yellow jackets are the aggressive ones. They nest in the ground or in wall voids, defend in numbers, and sting repeatedly. People usually discover ground nests by stepping near the entrance, which is why they cause the worst incidents.
Hornets and bald-faced hornets build large enclosed aerial nests in trees and on structures. They are very defensive of the nest zone. If you are unsure what you have, send us a photo and we will help you tell before anyone gets close.
Ground nests: the hidden danger
Yellow jacket ground nests deserve their own warning because people find them the worst way: mowing over the entrance, stepping near it, or letting a curious dog investigate. A disturbed ground nest empties fast, and the stings come in numbers.
If you suspect a ground nest: mark the area from a distance, keep people and pets well away, and note the location of the entrance hole, which is often just a small opening in the soil or mulch. Do not pour gasoline, bleach, or boiling water into it. Those methods are dangerous to you and mostly ineffective against the colony. Call us and we handle it with the right equipment and timing.
Allergy safety: what to tell us
When you call, tell us if anyone in the household has a known sting allergy. It changes our priority and our planning. Keep everyone, especially kids and pets, well away from any active nest until it is handled.
One clear line: if someone is stung and shows signs of a severe reaction, trouble breathing, or swelling of the face or throat, call 911 immediately. That is a medical emergency, not a pest control situation. Our job is making sure the nest never gets the chance.
See a nest? Leave it alone and call us.
Do not poke it, spray it, or knock it down. Send the form below or call (301) 679-9193 — active nests near walkways and doors get priority.