Baldfaced Hornet Control in Cibolo, TX
What usually catches a Cibolo homeowner's eye is a gray, football-shaped paper nest hanging in a tree or shrub, with black-and-white wasps going in and out of a hole near the bottom. If the nest is high up and away from where people walk, leaving it is often the wiser call; if it hangs over a driveway, patio or play area, get it inspected rather than spraying it from below. Phone or text Pest Trappers at (210) 281-1064, or book online.
First, look at the face #
A baldfaced hornet is about 3/4 inch long and mostly black, with white marks on the front of the head and at the tip of the abdomen. Penn State Extension calls the face markings ivory-white. Despite the name, it is not a true hornet. AgriLife says it belongs to the yellowjacket family and calls it the only "hornet" reported in Texas (AgriLife Field Guide).
The nest is a closed, upside-down pear of grayish-brown paper that can reach 3 feet long, with a few stacked combs inside and the entrance at the bottom. Compare:
- Open, umbrella-shaped comb: paper wasps or red wasps in Cibolo.
- Hole in the ground with steady traffic: yellowjackets, the baldfaced hornet's close relatives.
- Paper ball in a tree, small dark wasps: possibly Mexican honey wasps, a different and calmer insect.
What is known about baldfaced hornets in Guadalupe County? #
Very little, honestly. Cibolo sits in the far western corner of Guadalupe County, about 13 miles east of San Antonio along FM 78 and FM 1103, according to the city (About Cibolo). AgriLife and the Texas Apiary Inspection Service confirm the species has been reported in Texas, but no source we have found maps where in the state it lives or how common it is in this county.
So treat any identification with care. A photo taken from a distance, showing the white face and the nest shape, settles most questions.
Farm edges turning into backyards #
The San Antonio River Authority's Cibolo Creek master plan describes the local pattern plainly: farmland is being converted into residential subdivisions, and the land to the east is expected to see fast suburban growth (SARA master plan).
That matters because baldfaced hornets nest above ground, usually in trees and shrubs and now and then on the side of a building or under an eave. Where a new street backs onto a field edge or a line of older trees, a nest that once hung far from anyone can end up a few yards from a patio. New owners may also be pruning, clearing brush or building a fence for the first time, which is how people blunder into a nest.
A gray football in the branches: leave it or treat it? #
AgriLife's advice is to leave baldfaced hornet nests alone when they are high in a tree or in a remote spot. These insects are less likely to attack than paper wasps or yellowjackets, partly because their nests are usually out of reach.
Have it treated when the nest is:
- near a doorway, window or eave
- over a driveway, patio, pool or play set
- in a shrub beside a lawn that gets mowed or trimmed
- in a tree you need to prune or take down
A mature colony holds the queen and 200 to 400 workers, per AgriLife, and the sting is intensely painful. Each hornet can sting more than once.
Hands off the outside of the nest #
- Don't spray only the shell. Penn State warns this angers the colony and raises the risk of stings over the next several days.
- If hornets come after you, cover your head and get inside a car or building. Swatting and jumping into water make things worse.
- Anyone with a venom allergy or heart condition should not attempt control. Allergic reactions usually start within 20 to 30 minutes, and AgriLife notes shock can come in 10 to 15.
Pest Trappers' approach to a hornet nest in Cibolo #
The technician confirms the species first, then looks at where the nest hangs, how high it is, and who uses the space under it. You get the options explained plainly, any product is applied according to its label, and the price is set after the inspection. AgriLife's wasp bulletin recommends protective clothing and a working distance of 10 to 15 feet, which is part of why tree nests are a job for licensed help. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) is family-owned and holds a Texas Department of Agriculture license; the office will confirm a time with you. Read more in our baldfaced hornet guide, or see everything we handle on the Cibolo page.