Baldfaced Hornet Control in New Braunfels, TX
What people in New Braunfels usually spot first is the nest, not the insect: a gray, pear-shaped paper ball hanging in a tree or under an eave, with black-and-white wasps slipping in and out of a single hole near the bottom. If it is high in a tree and away from where anyone walks, the first move is to leave it be. If it hangs over a doorway, a play area or a lawn you mow, call or text (210) 281-1064 or book online to have it looked at.
Do baldfaced hornets live around New Braunfels? #
They are reported in Texas, but nobody has mapped them closely here. Texas A&M AgriLife calls the baldfaced hornet the only "hornet" reported in the state, and TAIS says the same (TAIS hornets). Neither source says which parts of Texas have them or how often they turn up near San Antonio or the Hill Country. Penn State describes the range as most of the lower 48 states.
So we won't call them common here. We can help you recognize one.
Identify the nest first #
- Shape: an enclosed, upside-down pear or football of gray-brown paper. AgriLife says nests can reach 3 feet long; TAIS and UF/IFAS say they are often a foot or more across.
- Inside: two to four stacked combs, hidden by the paper wall.
- Door: one entrance hole, near the bottom.
- The insect: about 3/4 inch, black with white or ivory marks on the face and the tip of the abdomen (AgriLife field guide).
AgriLife adds a twist: despite the name, this "hornet" belongs with the yellowjackets. An open comb with no paper cover is a paper wasp. A colony in the ground is almost always a yellowjacket.
Shade trees, river parks and your own backyard #
Baldfaced hornets hang most nests in trees, AgriLife says, often high up, and only now and then on the side of a building. New Braunfels is a city of big shade. Landa Park alone covers 51 acres under what the city calls giant oak trees, around the Comal Springs (City of New Braunfels). The Comal River corridor, from Prince Solms Park to the City Tube Chute, draws crowds all summer, and the city staffs the chute with lifeguards in that season.
That does not mean hornets nest in those parks; no source says they do. It means a lot of people here spend summer days under mature trees, which is where these nests tend to hang. At home, the same idea applies: look up into the canopy over a deck or driveway, check the eaves on the tree side of the house, and glance at bushes before you trim them.
When a nest can hang, and when it can't #
AgriLife's advice for most baldfaced hornet nests is to leave them alone. These hornets are less likely to attack than paper wasps or yellowjackets, largely because they nest high or out of the way. The colony dies off around the first hard frost.
It is a different story when the nest is:
- Over a doorway, gate, porch or eave people pass under
- Near a swing set, trampoline or patio
- Low in a shrub along a mowed lawn or a path
- At a home where someone has a venom allergy or heart condition
Steps to take today #
- Keep children and pets back, and skip mowing or trimming near the nest.
- Don't spray only the outside of the paper. Penn State says that tends to stir up the colony and raise the chance of stings for days afterward.
- If the colony comes out after you, cover your head and get to a building or car. Don't stand and swat, and don't jump into water.
- For a sting, wash it, ice it and don't scratch. AgriLife notes that severe allergic reactions often begin within 20 to 30 minutes, so trouble breathing, dizziness or a spreading rash needs emergency care.
How Pest Trappers handles a baldfaced hornet nest in New Braunfels #
A technician confirms what the nest is, checks how high and how close to people it hangs, and looks for any second nest nearby. You hear the options, including leaving a remote nest in place, before any work is done, and any product used follows its label. Pricing comes after the inspection. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) is a family-owned company licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture; the office confirms your appointment time. Read more in the baldfaced hornet guide, or see our New Braunfels page for other local service.