Baldfaced Hornet Control in Bandera, TX
A gray paper nest the size of a football, hanging from a branch on your Bandera property, with black wasps sporting white faces coming and going through an opening at its base, is most likely a baldfaced hornet colony. If it is high up and nobody works or plays beneath it, the usual advice is to leave it until cold weather ends the colony; if it hangs by a door, a play set or a strip you mow, have it handled by someone with protective gear. Pest Trappers can look at it for you: call or text (210) 281-1064, or book a visit online.
Reading the nest from the ground #
Think of a closed paper bag, gray-brown, widest at the top and tapering like an inverted pear. AgriLife records these nests at up to 3 feet long, with between two and four tiers of comb inside and the way in at the bottom (AgriLife Field Guide). The hornets run about 3/4 inch, black with white trim on the face and the end of the abdomen.
Other nests you might be looking at:
- Open comb, no cover, cells showing: a paper wasp. See paper wasp control in Bandera.
- A hole in the ground with steady traffic: most likely yellowjackets.
- A smaller gray ball up in a tree or shrub, with tiny dark wasps: possibly a Mexican honey wasp colony.
Are they even common around Bandera? #
Honestly, nobody knows. AgriLife calls this "the only 'hornet' reported in Texas" and places it in the yellowjacket family, yet none of the sources we found map where in Texas it lives or how frequent it is anywhere in the Hill Country. Treat a sighting as possible rather than routine, and get a clear photo first. Our baldfaced hornet guide has the full background.
River trees: where an aerial nest could hang #
AgriLife notes that the nests are usually built in trees, frequently well off the ground, and only now and then on the eaves of a building. Along the Medina as it winds through Bandera County, Texas Parks and Wildlife describes a riverside forest made up mostly of willows, sycamore, bald cypress and pecan (TPWD).
If your lot slopes toward the river or a creek, scan the canopy of those big trees during the warm months. AgriLife counts a mature colony at one queen with 200 to 400 workers.
Watching wildlife without stirring the nest #
TPWD notes that Bandera City Park was nominated for the Heart of Texas Wildlife Trail. If you are out along the river watching wildlife, a hornet nest is worth a look too, from well back. AgriLife ranks hornets as slower to attack than paper wasps or yellowjackets, and TAIS credits that to nests placed high or in remote spots.
That calm ends when the nest is bumped, shaken or sprayed. Do not throw anything at it, and keep kids and dogs from poking at a low branch.
When a tree nest becomes your problem #
Penn State Extension's test is simple: act once the nest is close to an entry door, an eave, a swing set or a mowed lawn. Until then:
- Let a high, remote nest be; most of the colony dies off near the first hard frost.
- Do not mist only the outside of the paper. Penn State says that just riles the colony, and the sting risk stays higher for several days.
- If they come after you, protect your head and get into a car or house rather than swatting.
- Anyone with a venom allergy or a heart condition should keep clear entirely.
AgriLife's wasp bulletin says anyone treating a nest should stay 10 to 15 feet back and wear a bee suit or similar protective clothing, or else hire a professional.
What a Pest Trappers hornet visit in Bandera includes #
The technician confirms what built the nest, gauges how close it hangs to doors, paths and work areas, and talks you through the options, including leaving it where that is reasonable. Any treatment follows the product label. Nest removal does not include pruning or other tree work. You get a price once the inspection is done. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) holds the family business's Texas Department of Agriculture license, and the office calls or texts to confirm a time. More local services are on our Bandera page.