Hornet Control in Cibolo, TX
Ask a Cibolo homeowner about "hornets" and the insect behind the word is nearly always one of two: yellowjackets nesting in the ground or a wall, or baldfaced hornets with a closed gray paper nest in a tree. Both defend their nests hard, so the first step is to identify the nest from a distance and keep people clear of it. For a nest close to a door, path, play area or mowed lawn, reach the office at (210) 281-1064 (call or text) or book online.
What "hornet" means in Texas #
Texas A&M AgriLife's wasp bulletin lists a single reported Texas "hornet," the baldfaced hornet, and places it in the yellowjacket family (AgriLife E-239). The same bulletin says yellowjackets are often called hornets. So a "hornet" nest at a Cibolo home turns out to be either a yellowjacket nest or a baldfaced hornet nest in a tree.
Sort it by the nest's cover #
- Closed gray paper nest shaped like an upside-down pear, hanging in a tree or shrub, entrance at the bottom, black-and-white insects: baldfaced hornet. Read the baldfaced hornet page.
- No nest in sight, just a hole in the lawn, a bank or the siding with half-inch black-and-yellow insects pouring in and out: yellowjackets. Read the yellowjacket page.
- Open comb with visible cells, no paper cover: paper wasps or red wasps. See paper wasps.
- Rounder gray paper ball in a tree or hedge, tiny dark wasps, calm colony: possibly Mexican honey wasps. See Mexican honey wasps.
- A huge rust-and-black wasp in the yard, no paper nest, small holes in sunny turf: a cicada killer, which rarely stings. See cicada killers.
European and giant hornets: not recorded in Texas #
Two famous hornets come up a lot. The European hornet lives in much of the eastern U.S., but no source we have checked records it in Texas; our European hornet page for Cibolo explains what people usually see instead. The northern giant hornet, once called the Asian giant hornet or "murder hornet," has no Texas record at all and was declared eradicated from the U.S. in December 2024. See giant hornet look-alikes.
What is known locally #
Cibolo lies in the far western corner of Guadalupe County, along FM 78 and FM 1103 about 13 miles east of San Antonio (About Cibolo). AgriLife and the Texas Apiary Inspection Service confirm the baldfaced hornet has been reported in Texas, but neither says where in the state or how common it is, and no source we know of covers this county.
Yellowjackets are a different story. AgriLife's field guide says the southern yellowjacket is plentiful in towns, nesting mostly underground and now and then in walls. That makes the ground and the siding the first places to look when someone in Cibolo reports "hornets."
Your lot, your nest #
Most Cibolo homes are stand-alone houses; Census survey data puts 90.1% of them in the single-family detached category. That usually means your own lawn, flower beds, shrubs, trees, eaves and shed, which together cover nearly every site these insects use. A yellowjacket nest under the lawn or a baldfaced hornet nest in a backyard tree is generally the owner's to deal with.
When to treat:
- the nest is within a few steps of a door, gate, driveway or patio
- it is under a lawn or bank that gets mowed or trimmed
- it is in a tree you plan to prune
- someone in the home is allergic to stings or has a heart condition
When it can usually stay: a baldfaced hornet nest high in a tree or in a remote corner. AgriLife advises leaving those alone.
Before anyone touches a hornet nest #
- Spraying just the shell of a paper nest is a mistake; Penn State says it leaves the colony stirred up for several days.
- Gasoline and hose water do not belong in a ground nest, and a wall entrance still in use should stay open.
- Under attack? Protect your head and make for a car or a building. Swatting and diving into water both backfire.
- AgriLife advises treating from 10 to 15 feet away in protective clothing such as a bee suit, or hiring a professional.
Pest Trappers and hornet nests in Cibolo #
A technician confirms which insect built the nest, then looks at its height, its entrance and who uses the space around it. You get the options explained, the product label is followed on any treatment, and the price is set after the inspection. The business behind the work is Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549), family-run and licensed through the Texas Department of Agriculture, and the office sets the appointment time with you. Our Cibolo service page lists other pests we handle.