Mexican Honey Wasp Control in Schertz, TX
In Schertz, Mexican honey wasps are usually noticed as a gray, papery ball, roughly football- to basketball-size, tucked into the canopy of a tree or a tall shrub, with small dark wasps crawling over the outside. These wasps are calm and tend to ignore people, so if the nest is high and out of the way, the right first move is to leave it be. If it hangs where someone has to prune, build, mow under or play, have it handled by a professional with protective gear; call or text (210) 281-1064, or book online.
Gray ball in the branches: what the clues add up to #
Several features together point to this species rather than bees or other wasps:
- Tiny wasps. Smaller than a honey bee; AgriLife's Wizzie Brown puts them at about 1/4 to 1/3 inch.
- Dark, not fuzzy. Texas A&M's bee inspection service describes them as nearly all black and not very hairy; Brown adds yellow-and-black stripes on a teardrop-shaped abdomen and rusty wings.
- A paper shell, not wax. Honey bees build wax comb, while social wasps make paper. A gray paper ball is not a beehive.
- Up in the foliage. Nests sit in tree and shrub canopies, often high, and Brown gives about 18 inches as a typical size.
Brown also notes a single nest can hold 3,000 to 18,000 wasps and several queens (Brown, AgriLife). A closed gray nest hanging in a tree could also be a baldfaced hornet; see baldfaced hornet control in Schertz to compare.
What the range records say about Schertz #
Honestly, the record is thin. AgriLife says Mexican honey wasps range from Texas to Nicaragua, and Brown says that within North America they occur in Arizona and Texas. None of the extension sources we rely on names a county, maps where they occur in Texas, or says whether they are spreading. So a nest in Schertz is possible, but we will not claim it is common here, and a technician will confirm the ID before anything else.
A growing city means more work near trees #
The Census Bureau estimates Schertz reached 44,428 residents in July 2024, up 5.7% from its 2020 count of 42,024 (Census estimates). The San Antonio River Authority's Cibolo Creek plan describes this stretch of the watershed, near Selma, as shifting into urban uses: medium-density neighborhoods, Randolph Air Force Base and commercial development.
Growth brings tree trimming, lot clearing, fence building and new playground and patio projects, and those are exactly the times a hidden canopy nest gets bumped. Brown's advice is direct: if these wasps need managing, bring in a professional who has protective equipment such as a bee suit.
A nest that lasts through the winter #
Unlike paper wasps or yellowjackets, which mostly fade by late fall, a honey wasp colony keeps going. E-346 calls it the only wasp that stores honey, and Brown says the colony uses that honey to get through winter. Nests last roughly three years before they are abandoned, so one you spot in January is likely active. Do not assume cold weather will take care of it.
Before the trimming crew or the shovel arrives #
Do:
- Look up into the canopy of any tree or shrub you plan to cut, before the work starts.
- Leave a high nest that is out of everyone's way. E-346 says there is usually no need to remove it.
- Remember the benefits: Brown says the wasps pollinate and prey on other insects, especially Asian citrus psyllids.
Don't:
- Shake, hose or throw things at the nest. Females will sting to defend the colony or when provoked.
- Call a beekeeper expecting a honey bee removal. These are wasps, and the Texas honey bee removal rules and lists do not apply to them.
How Pest Trappers handles honey wasp nests in Schertz #
The technician confirms what built the nest, since a paper ball in a tree may be a honey wasp, a baldfaced hornet or something else. They tell you whether it can stay, and if it has to go, they explain the options, work in protective gear and apply any product only as the label directs. You get a price after that inspection. Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549) is family-owned and licensed by the Texas Department of Agriculture. The Mexican honey wasp guide has more background, and the Schertz page lists other pests we handle.