When should I call a pro for a wasp nest?

Call a pro when the nest is inside the house, out of reach, or close to someone who is allergic to stings. A licensed pest control company is the right call for wasps going into a wall, soffit, attic or crawlspace, for a large hornet nest overhead or anything that needs a ladder, and for a nest you have already treated that is still busy. A small paper wasp comb you can reach from the ground, or a yellowjacket hole in open lawn, is often a homeowner job.

Nests that call for a pro

Inside the walls, attic or crawlspace. Virginia Cooperative Extension says yellowjackets nesting in the voids of interior walls may justify the cost of a licensed pest control operator, who has specialized equipment and materials for indoor nests.^[1] A wall nest may be some distance from the hole you can see, which makes it hard to reach with insecticide.^[1] Plugging the hole is the common mistake: the workers may chew a new entrance through the wall into the living area.^[1] And a product labeled for outdoor use must not be used inside the home.^[1]

Large covered nests. Hornets are far more difficult and dangerous to control than paper wasps.^[3] A baldfaced hornet nest, the large gray one shaped like a bloated football, may contain hundreds of wasps that are extremely aggressive when disturbed.^[3] If the paper envelope breaks during treatment, the wasps scatter in all directions.^[3]

European hornets. These big reddish-brown and yellow hornets are a special case.^[4] European hornets nest in concealed places such as hollow trees, wall voids and attics, fly at night as well as by day, and may be attracted to a flashlight.^[4] That can make the night-time treatment that works on other wasps harder with them.

Anything you need a ladder for. University of Kentucky entomologists say it is usually prudent to call a professional when reaching a nest takes a ladder or is otherwise difficult.^[3] A ladder with wasps coming at you can turn a sting into a fall.

A household with a sting allergy. About two million people in the U.S., roughly one percent of the population, are hypersensitive to the venom and can have a life-threatening allergic reaction.^[3] If that is anyone in your house, they should not be near the nest, and hiring it out is the safer choice.

Honey bees, not wasps. Fuzzy bees clustered on a branch or going into a wall are a beekeeper's call, not an exterminator's. See who removes honey bees in Virginia without killing them, and if you are unsure which you have, how to tell bees from wasps.

Nests you can often handle yourself

A small paper wasp comb within reach. Paper wasps do not appear to be particularly aggressive unless they are defending their nest,^[2] and an accessible paper wasp nest can be eliminated fairly easily with a retail wasp and hornet spray.^[3] Treat it at night from a distance, never from directly underneath, and take it down a few days later.^[2][3] Keeping new ones from starting is covered in how to keep wasps from building nests on your house.

A yellowjacket hole in open lawn. A labeled spray and dust after dark usually does it; see how to get rid of yellow jackets nesting in the ground.

A nest nobody goes near. A nest high in a tree at the edge of the yard can usually be left until cold weather ends it.

What to check before you hire

In Virginia, no person may apply or recommend a pesticide commercially without a pesticide business license and a certified commercial applicator.^[5] To get the license, VDACS requires a certificate of insurance showing at least $100,000 for property damage, $100,000 for injury to or death of one person, and $300,000 per occurrence.^[6] Pesticide business licenses expire on March 31 each year,^[6] so ask for the current one. More in whether pest control companies need a licence in Virginia.

Then ask what the price covers. Wall and attic nests should be removed after the yellowjackets are dead when possible, because the dead wasps and brood can attract other insects or mice.^[1] If that means opening drywall or siding, whoever does the repair is a contractor under Virginia law, and a Class C licence covers a single job over $1,000 and under $30,000.^[7] For what drives the price, see what wasp nest removal costs in Virginia.

Stop and call a pro if

• Wasps are going into the house: a wall, soffit, vent, attic or crawlspace.
• The nest is large, covered in gray paper, or overhead.
• Reaching it means a ladder.
• Anyone nearby is allergic to stings, or you have been stung many times at once.
• You have treated the nest and it is still active the next day.

You can browse wasp and stinging insect services, look up pest control around Blacksburg, or read the other pest control answers.

When it is a job for a pro, describe the nest on Loclis and licensed local pest control businesses can quote.