Hornet Control in San Antonio, TX
In San Antonio, the word "hornet" covers a lot of insects. Most of the time it means yellowjackets nesting in the ground or a wall, or paper wasps under an eave. The only insect Texas records actually call a hornet is the baldfaced hornet, and even that one is technically a yellowjacket. Work out which you have from the nest, keep people away from it, and get an established colony handled by a professional. Call or text (210) 281-1064 or book online.
What gets called a hornet here #
- Yellowjackets. AgriLife notes these are often called hornets. They're 1/2-inch, black-and-yellow, smooth-bodied wasps that build a hidden paper nest underground or inside a wall, with one entrance. See yellowjackets.
- Baldfaced hornet. Black with white markings, about 3/4 inch, building an enclosed, gray, pear-shaped paper nest, usually in a tree. The Texas Apiary Inspection Service calls it the only true "hornet" in Texas (TAIS). See baldfaced hornets.
- Paper wasps and red wasps. Slim wasps on an open comb under an eave or porch ceiling. See paper wasps and red wasps.
- Southern yellowjacket queen. A single very large, mostly orange wasp in spring that people often take for a giant hornet.
"Hornets" in the wall of an older house #
A loud humming inside a wall, with wasps squeezing in and out of a gap in siding or brick, is one of the more worrying things to find. AgriLife says yellowjacket nests are mostly underground but occasionally end up in wall voids and indoors.
Older homes give them more ways in. Census survey data show that most homes in 78213 were built before 1980, mostly in the 1950s, and about half in 78238 and 78216 (Census ACS). Gaps around trim, siding and weep holes tend to multiply as a house ages.
Whatever the age of your house, don't seal that entrance while the colony is alive. AgriLife warns that trapped yellowjackets may force their way into the home. Wall nests are a job for a professional, who uses products labeled for wall voids and takes care around wiring.
"Hornets" in the lawn #
A stream of wasps flying low into a hole in the grass is almost always a yellowjacket colony, sometimes in an old rodent burrow. San Antonio's property code requires grass and weeds to be kept under 12 inches (City of San Antonio), so most yards here see a mower regularly, and AgriLife notes that mower vibration can set off an attack. Colonies peak around August and September, so walk the lawn before late-summer mowing, flag any hole with traffic, and mow around it until it's treated.
Don't pour gasoline into the hole or flood it with spray; AgriLife says liquids tend to soak into the soil without reaching the colony, and gasoline is a fire and contamination hazard.
Big "hornets" that aren't #
Some of the largest, scariest wasps around San Antonio don't defend a nest at all:
- Cicada killer: about 1 1/2 inches, rust red and black with yellow bands, digging in sunny lawns in summer. Males can't sting. See cicada killers.
- Tarantula hawk: blue-black with orange wings, on flowers. It stings only if handled. See tarantula hawks.
And two hornets you can cross off: the European hornet hasn't been documented in Texas (details), and the northern giant hornet has never been found here and was declared eradicated from the U.S. in 2024 (what people see instead).
When a hornet nest needs a professional #
Texas A&M AgriLife says established yellowjacket and hornet colonies should be handled by professionals (Insects in the City). That goes double when the nest is in a wall, near a door or play area, or when anyone at home has a heart condition or venom allergy. A baldfaced hornet nest high in a tree and away from people can usually be left alone. Don't spray just the outside of a paper nest; Penn State warns it angers the colony for days.
If you're stung, wash the spot and ice it. Get emergency care for trouble breathing or swallowing, dizziness, vomiting, a rash or fainting, especially within the first half hour.
How Pest Trappers handles hornets in San Antonio #
A technician identifies the insect, finds the nest (in the ground, a wall, an eave or a tree), and tells you whether it can stay or should go. For nests that need treatment, they explain the options and follow the label of any product used. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) quotes after the inspection. See the San Antonio service page for everything else we handle across Bexar County.