Hornet Control in Stone Oak, TX
When someone in Stone Oak says "hornet," the insect is usually a yellowjacket, the black-and-yellow wasp that nests in the ground or in walls, or occasionally a baldfaced hornet with a gray paper nest in a tree. Neither the European hornet nor the so-called murder hornet has ever been recorded in Texas. If you have an enclosed paper nest or a busy ground hole near the house, have it treated rather than poked; call or text (210) 281-1064, or request a visit.
What Texans call a hornet #
Texas A&M AgriLife's wasp bulletin makes two points that clear up most of the confusion (AgriLife E-239):
- Yellowjackets are often called "hornets."
- The baldfaced hornet is the only "hornet" reported in Texas, and it actually belongs with the yellowjackets in the family Vespidae.
The Texas Apiary Inspection Service agrees that the baldfaced hornet is the one hornet in the state. So the real question is not "which hornet?" but "yellowjacket in the ground, yellowjacket-type nest in a tree, or something else entirely?"
Match your "hornet" to a page #
- Small black-and-yellow wasps streaming into a hole in the lawn, a bed or a wall gap. Yellowjackets. These are the most likely to sting in numbers, especially in late summer and fall. See yellowjacket control.
- A pear-shaped gray paper carton hanging in a tree or under an eave, with black-and-white wasps. Baldfaced hornet. No source we use says how common it is around San Antonio, so confirm the wasps before assuming. See baldfaced hornet control.
- A big brown-and-yellow wasp at a lit window at night. People often guess European hornet, but it has no Texas record. See European hornet control.
- A giant orange-headed wasp you think is a "murder hornet." It is almost certainly a cicada killer, a tarantula hawk or a yellowjacket queen. See the giant hornet page.
An open comb with no cover, under an eave, is not a hornet nest at all. That is a paper wasp; see wasp control.
Two hornets that aren't here #
The European hornet is a true hornet from Europe that has spread through much of the eastern U.S. A 2025 review of records west of the Mississippi found most in the Ozarks and eastern Oklahoma, and none in Texas. Penn State Extension notes it flies at night and is drawn to lights, which is why it gets named whenever a large wasp hits a window.
The northern giant hornet, once called the Asian giant hornet, was only ever found in British Columbia and Washington State. USDA and Washington's agriculture department declared it eradicated from the U.S. in December 2024 (WSDA). TAIS says it does not exist in Texas.
Gated streets, common areas and the city edge #
The city's 2026 draft area plan describes Stone Oak as master-planned, with gated suburban neighborhoods of mostly single-family homes (Stone Oak plan, draft). In those neighborhoods, a hornet or yellowjacket nest may be on your lot, or on HOA ground such as an entry wall, a greenbelt tree or a pool fence. Nests on common ground are the association's to handle, so report them to the HOA or management company instead of treating them yourself.
The address can matter in a different way, too. Stone Oak is part of San Antonio in Bexar County, but its fringe ZIPs reach outside the city: the Census Bureau's 2020 ZIP-to-place file puts 74.7% of 78260 in Timberwood Park, an unincorporated community, and 99.6% of 78261 outside any town. City code and city services stop at the limits; a nest in the ground or a tree is handled the same way on either side.
What to do today #
- Keep people and pets away; mark a ground nest so nobody mows over it.
- Don't spray only the outside of a paper carton. Penn State warns that it angers the colony for days.
- Don't plug a wall opening while yellowjackets are using it, and don't pour gasoline into a ground nest.
- If you are attacked, cover your head and get indoors or into a car; don't jump into a pool.
- Leave treatment to someone else if anyone at home has a venom allergy or heart condition.
How Pest Trappers handles hornets in Stone Oak #
A technician confirms which insect built the nest, checks its size and reach, and explains the options, including leaving a remote tree nest alone. Treatment, when needed, follows the product label. The price is set after the inspection, and the office confirms the time with you. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) is family-owned and licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture for structural pest work. See the Stone Oak page for everything else we cover here.