Windsor, Ontario
Wasp & hornet control
Wasps going in and out of a gap in the soffit, a paper nest under the eaves, or a hole in the lawn? Tell us where you're seeing them, from a safe distance, and we'll help you work out what's there and what to do next.
Estimates are free.
Signs of a nest
Most people notice the wasps before the nest. Look for wasps using one spot, a paper nest or a busy hole in the ground. Where they keep flying tells you more than what they look like, so note the spot and keep your distance.
Wasps using one spot
A steady stream of wasps flying in and out of the same gap or hole usually marks a nest entrance. The nest itself may be out of sight.
An open, umbrella-shaped comb
A single layer of paper cells, open underneath, hanging under eaves, gutters or ledges. Paper wasps build these.
A grey, papery ball
An enclosed paper nest with an opening near the bottom, in a tree or shrub or on the side of a building. Bald-faced hornet nests can grow to the size of a football.
A hole in the ground
Wasps going in and out of a hole in the lawn or garden, often an old rodent burrow. Many yellowjackets nest underground. Single wasps digging their own burrows in bare soil are more likely solitary wasps.
A nest that keeps growing
A queen starts each nest in spring, and it grows through the summer, so one you didn't notice in May can be large by August.
More wasps around food
In August and September colonies are at their largest, and wasps are more active and more likely to turn up where people eat.
Where nests are often found
Roofline and exterior
- Under eaves, gutters and ledges
- In soffits and behind siding
- Sheds, play structures and other sheltered spots
Inside structures
- Inside walls and attics
- Crawl spaces
Ground and landscaping
- In the ground, often in old burrows
- Stone walls
- Trees, shrubs and hedges
- Tree stumps and hollow trees
When to get help with a nest
A nest well away from where people go can often be left alone until it's abandoned in late fall. Get help sooner if the nest is:
- Inside a wall, roofline, attic or crawl space
- Near a door, deck, path or play area
- High up, or hard to reach safely
- Close to someone with a severe sting allergy
Wasp or hornet?
The names overlap. Hornets are a type of wasp, and the bald-faced hornet, common throughout Ontario, is a kind of yellowjacket rather than a true hornet. True hornets aren't native to North America; the European hornet, a very large wasp introduced long ago, is now common in parts of Ontario.
Health Canada notes that many harmless wasps look similar to yellowjackets and hornets and can be mistaken for pests. Bees get mixed up with wasps too: bees tend to be fuzzy and rounder, while wasps are smooth with a narrow waist. If you think they may be bees, say so when you get in touch.
You don't need to name the insect. What helps us most is where they are, what you can see of the nest, and how busy the entrance is. A photo from a safe distance helps.
How we handle a nest
We use an Integrated Pest Management approach: what we do depends on where the nest is, how it's reached and who's nearby.
Finding the nest
Our licensed, certified exterminators look for the nest, or the entrance the wasps are using when it's hidden in a wall, a soffit or the ground.
Treatment for the location
We choose the treatment for where the nest is and how it's reached, with people, pets and property in mind.
Sealing up, once it's safe
Where it's appropriate, we seal the gaps the wasps used once the nest is no longer active, so a new queen is less likely to start a nest there next spring.
Follow-up visits
Follow-up visits are included as part of the service.
What happens next
Tell us what you're seeing
Call, use the estimate form or message us on WhatsApp. Say where the nest or the busy spot is, how high up, and how long you've noticed it. A photo from a safe distance helps.
We look at what you've shared
A description, photos or a short video can be enough for us to quote from.
An on-site inspection, if needed
If your details or photos aren't enough, we'll tell you whether an on-site inspection is needed.
Your quote
Estimates are free. We aim to send yours within 60 minutes, by email or WhatsApp.
Before we arrive
- Keep children, pets and visitors away from the area around the nest.
- Leave the nest alone. Spraying, knocking it down, burning or flooding it can bring many wasps out at once.
- Don't block the hole the wasps are using. If the nest is inside a wall, blocking it may send them chewing through into the house.
- Hold off mowing or trimming near the nest, including one in the ground.
- From a distance, note where the entrance is and when it's busiest, and take a photo only if you can do it safely.
- If a sting causes trouble breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, hives or dizziness, use an epinephrine auto-injector if one has been prescribed, then call 9-1-1.
Homes and businesses
At home
Under the eaves, behind the siding or in the lawn, tell us where the nest is, how high up, and whether children or pets use that part of the yard.
For businesses
Wasps around the patio, entrance or garbage area of a restaurant, a residential building or another public place? We work there too, and offer ongoing commercial accounts.
Ask about an ongoing accountWhere we work
We're based in Windsor and work across these communities. Outside them, contact us and we'll confirm availability.
Wasps and hornets: common questions
Should I remove or block the nest myself?
We'd advise against it. Health Canada recommends professional help with nest removal because of the risk of being attacked by a large group of wasps, and wasps can sting more than once. Blocking the hole they use is risky too: wasps nesting inside a wall may chew their way through into the house.
Does every nest need to be dealt with?
Not always. Health Canada's advice is that if a nest isn't in a spot that's a health hazard, it's best to leave it until November or December, when it will usually have been abandoned. A nest by a door, a deck or a play area, inside a wall or attic, or near someone with a severe sting allergy is different. Tell us where yours is and we'll give you our honest view.
What if the nest is in a wall or soffit?
Tell us. Nests inside walls, soffits and other enclosed spaces are often the hardest to reach safely, and you may only ever see the entrance. Let us know where the wasps are going in and how high up it is, and we'll tell you what we can do.
Will the wasps come back next year?
Not to the same nest. The workers die off in the fall and old nests usually aren't reused, but new queens spend the winter elsewhere and start fresh nests in spring, so a sheltered spot that suited one nest can suit another. Once the colony has died off for the winter, sealing the gaps the wasps used, which we do where it's appropriate, makes that less likely.
How much does wasp and hornet control cost?
We quote each job individually, and estimates are free. A photo taken from a safe distance, with where the nest is and how high, can be enough to start.
Not wasps?
A cluster of winged insects at a window in spring can be ants, and webs under the eaves point to spiders. If that sounds more like it, start here.