Hornet Nest Removal in Media and Delaware County, PA

Bald-Faced Hornet or European Hornet: Which Do You Have?

Two insects get called hornets around Delaware County, and they behave differently. The bald-faced hornet is actually an aerial yellow jacket that builds its nest in the open; the European hornet is a true hornet, introduced to North America from Europe in the 1800s, and it prefers enclosed cavities.

Large, shiny black bees hovering around a deck or fascia are neither one. Those are carpenter bees, covered on our carpenter bee control page.

Where Hornet Nests Hide Around Delaware County Yards

A bald-faced hornet queen starts a nest in spring that is no bigger than a golf ball, usually screened by leaves. By late summer the same nest can be larger than a basketball and hold several hundred hornets. Many people first notice one in September, when leaves begin to drop, or when a hedge trimmer bumps into it.

Wooded lots near Ridley Creek State Park, the Darby Creek valley and the larger yards of Edgmont and Newtown Square give hornets tall trees and dense shrubs to build in. European hornets prefer older hollow trees and the attics, barns and wall cavities of older homes, and they strip bark from lilac and birch branches for nest material.

Evergreen privacy screens are another common hiding place. Arborvitae, holly and yew planted along property lines stay dense all year, so a nest can sit at chest height for months without anyone seeing it. Dry spells in late summer also push foraging hornets toward patios, gutters and birdbaths, which is often when a homeowner finally traces their flight path back to the shrub.

When Does a Hornet Nest Become a Real Hazard?

Bald-faced hornets guard a wide zone around the nest and react to vibration, so mowing, trimming or a ball hitting the shrub can trigger a mass defense. Each hornet can sting more than once. A nest at head height beside a walkway, driveway or play area should be treated promptly.

Don't hit the nest, throw things at it, hose it or try to cut down the branch. If you find one while trimming, walk away calmly, leave the trimmer if you have to and keep everyone back. Anyone allergic to stings should stay well clear of the area, and a severe reaction calls for 911 or immediate medical care. Our emergency wasp and hornet removal page covers what to do in the first hour.

Reaching Hornet Nests in Trees, Hedges and Gables

Height and access shape every hornet job. During the free inspection we look at where the entrance hole faces, what sits underneath the nest, and whether it can be reached safely from the ground or a ladder.

For a nest high in a tree and well away from where anyone walks, the honest answer is sometimes to leave it: the colony dies at the first hard frost and the nest is never reused. When a high nest hangs over a deck, driveway or play set, we'll explain the options for reaching it and what they mean for the quote.

Hornet Nest Treatment Options and Trade-Offs

A good hornet exterminator aims to kill the whole colony, including the queen and the brood inside, not just the hornets flying outside. European hornets in a wall void are handled much like yellow jackets in a wall: treatment goes in through the existing opening, which stays unsealed so returning hornets carry it inside.

• Treat through the entrance, then remove: the most complete option for nests in shrubs and low branches. The nest is cut down and bagged once activity stops.
• Treat and leave in place: for nests too high to take down safely. The dead nest weathers apart over the winter.
• Cavity treatment: for European hornets in walls, attics or hollow trees, with sealing delayed until no more hornets appear.
• No treatment: a fair option for a nest far from people late in the season, since frost will end the colony.

Pennsylvania Licensing and Label Rules for Hornet Treatment

Hornet treatments for hire are regulated under the Pennsylvania Pesticide Control Act of 1973. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) licenses pest control businesses, certifies the applicators who work for them, and under 7 Pa. Code § 128.31 expects the business license number to be shown on its vehicles. Asking for that number is a fair first question for any company you call.

The product label carries legal weight as well. Most insecticide labels forbid applying directly to water, which matters when a nest hangs over a pond, a backyard stream or the bank of a creek such as Ridley or Crum, and it is one reason the method for those nests may differ. This is general information, not legal advice.

The Hornet Nest Removal Visit

Hornet visits are planned around safety for you, your neighbors and our technician.

1. 1

   Describe the nest by phone

   Tell us its height, what it hangs from, what's beneath it and whether anyone at home is allergic.

2. 2

   Free inspection

   We confirm the species, find the entrance and check nearby trees and eaves for more nests.

3. 3

   Written quote

   The quote explains how we'll reach each nest and whether it will be removed or left to weather.

4. 4

   Set a safe zone and treat the colony

   People, pets and cars stay clear of the area under and around the nest. Treatment goes into the entrance, ideally late in the day when most of the hornets are inside.

5. 5

   Remove reachable nests

   Once the nest is quiet, low nests are cut free, bagged and taken away.

6. 6

   Review and next steps

   We tell you how long to stay back and what to watch for over the next day.

What Goes Into Hornet Nest Cost?

Every hornet job is quoted in writing after the free inspection. These factors make the biggest difference:

Season plays a big part too. A June nest the size of a softball, low in a shrub, is a short treatment with an easy takedown. The same colony in September can be larger than a basketball, more defensive and higher in the canopy as the branch grows, so it takes more care to reach. A European hornet colony inside a hollow limb or wall cavity is quoted differently again, because treatment goes in through the opening and the nest itself usually stays put.

• Nest height and whether it can be reached from the ground or a ladder
• What's underneath the nest, such as a deck, roof, driveway or pond
• Hornet type, since European hornet nests inside walls or trees need a different approach
• Nest size, which grows quickly from July into September
• Whether the nest is removed and hauled away or left to weather
• Additional hornet, wasp or yellow jacket nests found during the inspection

Hornet Nest Removal in PA: After Treatment and Next Season

Hornets that were out foraging return to the treated nest and contact the treatment over the next several hours. Give the area at least a full day before mowing or trimming nearby, and call us if you still see steady traffic at the entrance after two days.

Old hornet nests are not reused, but new queens may build in the same tree or hedge next year. A few habits help:

• Walk the yard in June, when nests are softball-sized or smaller, and look up into trees and shrubs near the house
• Check hedges carefully before trimming in July and August
• Use yellow bug lights or switch off porch lights at night so European hornets aren't drawn to windows
• Have hollow or dying trees near the house looked at by an arborist
• Seal gaps in attic vents and siding where European hornets could move into a wall