One Licensed Specialist for Wasps, Hornets & Honey Bees.
Offering same-day service.
I'm a local, independent specialist working across the greater Portland metro area. Wasp and hornet nests and honey bee colonies are what I do most, and an active stinging insect problem at your house goes to the front of my list.
- Licensed Commercial Pesticide Operator
- Same-day wasp and hornet response
- Honey Bees saved wherever the nest allows it
Sam, your local bee man. Based in West Linn, OR.
Who Sam The Bee Man is, and what he actually does
Sam The Bee Man is Sam Riley, a Licensed Commercial Pesticide Operator working on his own out of West Linn, Oregon. He removes wasp, hornet and yellow jacket nests across the greater Portland metro, usually the same day, and cuts established honey bee colonies out of walls so the bees and comb come out together. Every job is quoted on site before anything starts.
- One licensed person does the quote and the work, no call center and no subcontractor
- Same-day response for active wasp and hornet nests
- Honey Bees relocated live wherever the nest allows it
- One-time work across the Portland metro, and a quarterly plan in West Linn, Lake Oswego and Oregon City
Same-Day Wasp Eradication
Portland invaders like yellow jackets, hornets, and paper wasps are highly aggressive when defending nests, often requiring urgent professional removal to protect your family. I use specialized techniques to safely eradicate nests and secure your property. Every infestation is unique, and I have many effective options for quickly eliminating these species.
What actually happens to the nest
With wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets, the colony gets destroyed. That's the job, and it's what keeps them from rebuilding in the same spot. Where a nest is reachable and out in the open I can sometimes take it off whole instead. Ask me and I'll tell you which one yours is before I start.
Honey Bee colonies
Honey Bee Removal, and Relocation Where It's Possible
Honey bees are worth saving, and I try to save them. A swarm resting out in the open is the best case: it goes into a hive box and gets a new home the same day. A colony living inside a wall for a season is a harder job, and whether the bees come through it depends on how much comb and brood I can lift out intact and how much of the structure has to come apart to reach them.
Sometimes the honest answer is that a colony can't be moved. When that's the case I'll tell you on the phone rather than in your driveway, and explain why.
Google reviews
What Portland, Oregon homeowners say after the job
5.0 from 34 Google reviews
Read them on GoogleSam is incredible. I highly recommend working with him. I had a wasp nest in the ground along the side of my house that became very active when approached, making it very challenging to get to my trash cans. Scheduling was easy and he ca...
Amy Andreini The day before closing on the sale of my listing in West Linn, my sellers found a handfull of yellow jackets in their home. We needed to locate the nest and treat it ASAP to meet our set closing date. I hoped on the phone and made a few...
Kaliko Maciel We had yellow jackets getting into our attic and nesting. Called Sam and he responded quickly and professional. Reasonably priced
Steve Peterschmidt If you’re dealing with bees or yellow jackets, call Sam The Bee Man! Sam was prompt, professional, and extremely knowledgeable. He safely eliminated a yellow jacket nest in our attic and roofline, explained the entire process ahead of ti...
John and Julie Burgoyne Wow! Sam did such a great and efficient job getting rid of a nest of very aggressive yellow jackets right by my front door. Sam was quick to respond to my request, upfront about cost, arrived on-time, and got rid of the yellow jackets re...
Jenn Cox We noticed a ground yellow jacket problem late in the season, which means the nest was really big. Sam was friendly, came out promptly, and took care of the nest. Great service!
Matthew Mitchell Sam is responsive, friendly, and easy to work with. We had a wasp problem. He came out same day and the price was reasonable. Highly recommend!
Seth Reddy Found a large yellow jackets nest in our bushes. Called Sam late Wednesday afternoon and he was at our house mid morning on Friday! Very friendly and efficient. Would definitely recommend.
Kaylie Stickney Sam did a great job getting rid of the yellow jackets under our front hedge. It took him only an hour and was able to get them all in one try. On time and professional. Will use again for any bee trouble.
David Sam came out the day after I called and had predicted the situation correctly when we chatted on the phone. He was able to get rid of the yellow jackets and even helped with an ant issue we had. Super nice and knowledgeable!
Erin Dhruva Sam was great. He was able to come out same day and take care of the yellow jackets living in our siding. He's efficient and professional. Highly recommend!
Susan Thomsen Before calling Sam, I was told by a “professional” Pest service that the infiltrators getting through my siding were honeybees. The bees were quite visible through my window, but we’re misidentified. Fortunately, I called Sam and he corr...
Patty Rissberger I called Sam to help with a yellow jacket hive in an exterior wall of my house. He communicated quickly over text, made an appointment for the same day, arrived when he said he would, and answered all of the questions I had. He treated t...
Sarah H Sam was great. He ended up coming the same day and removing a yellow jacket nest for us. I would highly recommend him to anyone!!
Tori Phillps From start to finish Sam was professional and easy to work with, he was knowledgeable and friendly and well prepared! It was a much more enjoyable experience to work with Sam than calling a big named exterminator. Sam was honest and fair...
Tamsyn Cox Sam was great! Successful wasp removal, easy communication, quick work. Would call again if needed.
Jen P Sam was outstanding to work with! We had a huge hive return to a spot in our attic that had been previously cleared a year earlier. I called Sam on a Tuesday and he came out the next morning! He worked quickly and efficiently to remove t...
Brian Odell I called Sam and was on a job and about done for the day and I explained my situation and he went out of his way and gave me a time he would be here and he was right on time. Did a Sunday removal of a wasps nest on my front porch and onc...
Michael puderbaugh Called Sam and he answered right away. He was able to come out within a few hours and took care of a large yellow jacket nest that had been built in a fern bush next to my driveway where we walk to get into the back gate and garage. He w...
Diana Lu Sam arrived quickly, day of, to save us from an aggressive hornets nest. Sam knew exactly the hornet before even having eyes on it and was communicative and helpful. The experience was much easier than trying to deal with some others in...
Katheryn Hayward We discovered a wasp nest in a planter in our back yard yesterday (and got stung 3 times, ouch!) and called Sam this morning. He was able to come out a few hours later and eradicate the nest. He was thoughtful, knowledgeable, and just a...
Hans Nolf Sam was awesome! Our Tennant texted us late Sunday night stating her heard buzzing in the walls, and Sam was able to come take a look the next day! He is clearly very knowledgeable and gave us quite a bit of information. Extremely kind a...
Megan Delmore Sam was super friendly and worked very efficiently to remove a huge colony of yellow jackets from our soffit…..which was 16 feet off the ground! Recommend very highly, worth every penny!
Laurie Kunert Fantastic service, Timely, Professional, Friendly, Easy to work with, Great value for the price, Good communication. Bye bye yellow jackets!
Scott Klees I had an urgent need at my work location. I texted Sam at 3:30pm. He replied within the hour. We made a plan for meeting to survey and treat the situation. He was on site by 6:15 and done working by 7:00pm. 5 stars for communication, for...
Patrick Clark
Work out what you're dealing with, then get someone out to it
The nest usually tells you more than the insect does. Use this to work out roughly what you have, then send me a photo so I can confirm it. None of these are worth taking on yourself, and the ones that look harmless are often the ones that get expensive when they're left.
| What you're seeing | What it probably is | What to do about it | Where to read more |
|---|---|---|---|
| A hanging cluster of bees on a branch, a fence, a railing, or honestly any structure at all | A honey bee swarm, resting while its scouts look for a permanent home. They can settle just about anywhere, and the cluster is usually calm while it sits. | Call me the day you spot it. If it disappears on its own, that normally means the scouts found somewhere better, and if that somewhere is a cavity in your house you now have a far bigger job than the one you were looking at. | Honey Bee removal and relocation |
| Steady bee traffic in and out of one hole in your wall, soffit, or chimney | An established honey bee colony living inside the structure, with comb and honey behind the surface. | This is the one to move on quickly. Reaching the colony means opening the structure, and the longer it stays the more likely the job needs a carpenter or a drywall contractor alongside me. That's where these get genuinely expensive. | Colony removal from walls |
| Big fuzzy black and yellow bees going into a hole in the ground or under a deck | Bumble Bees if they're round and fuzzy, yellow jackets if they're slim and shiny. People mix these two up more than anything else on this list. | Send me a photo before you do anything at all. These are two completely different jobs with two different outcomes, and telling you which one you have costs you nothing. | Bumble Bee nests |
| A gray papery ball hanging in a tree, in a shrub, or under an eave | Bald-faced hornets. The ones I get called to run from about the size of a football up to noticeably bigger, with hundreds of workers inside. | Keep well clear and get me out to look at it. In my experience these go straight for the face when the nest gets disturbed, and that includes vibration from a ladder or a pole. This is not a nest to try yourself, and if it turns out to be somewhere it can safely be left, I will tell you that too. | Hornet nest removal |
| A small open honeycomb on a stalk under an eave, porch ceiling, or deck rail | Paper wasps. Smaller colonies than the rest of this list, but they still defend the comb when someone gets close to it. | Worth having dealt with now rather than in August. While the comb is small it's one of the quickest jobs I do, and a nest over a doorway or a spot you actually sit only gets harder from here. | Paper wasp removal |
| Wasps disappearing into a crack, a wall vent, or a hole in the lawn | Yellow Jackets. The nest is hidden inside the cavity and it's a lot bigger than the entrance suggests. | Get it handled. This is the nest that stings people mowing the lawn, and plugging the entrance yourself just sends them chewing further in, sometimes toward the inside of the house. | Yellow Jacket nests in walls and lawns |
| Perfectly round holes in your deck rail, fence, or eaves, with sawdust below | Carpenter bees. Barely a sting risk, but the tunnels get extended every spring and woodpeckers tear them open to reach the larvae. | Book it before next season. This is the one where waiting costs you in carpentry rather than in stings, and the order matters: treat the active tunnel first, then seal, then paint. | Carpenter bee tunnels in wood |
Not sure which row you're in? Text a photo to (206) 817-7782 and I'll tell you what it is. Identifying it costs you nothing, and it means I turn up with the right gear instead of guessing from your driveway.
What I do most
Wasp, Hornet, and Bee Removal in Portland, Oregon
Other Pest Control Services
Comprehensive help for Portland's most persistent pests, from emergency ant and spider removal to year-round protection plans.
On-Call Ant and Spider Control
Immediate response for ant, spider, or other infestations. I use professional-grade, household-safe baits and sprays to eliminate problem insects without harming your home, garden, or native wildlife.
Ant and spider control
Preventative Indoor and Outdoor Spraying
Get ahead of common household pests. I apply professional-grade, household and garden safe preventative treatments, as a standalone visit or an add-on to your scheduled wasp or bee removal.
Preventative spraying
Subscription Plans and Regular Services
Need year-round, priority service? My annual plan covers quarterly preventative visits plus free priority response for urgent pest problems in between. It's a fixed quarterly route, so I offer it to West Linn, Lake Oswego, and Oregon City clients only.
What the annual plan coversThe stinging insect year around Portland, Oregon
Wasp and bee problems aren't random. They follow the same calendar every year, and knowing where you are in it tells you how much of a hurry you're in.
- March to May
Queens come out and pick a spot
Wasp queens that overwintered start nests the size of a golf ball, and honey bee colonies swarm. This is the cheapest, safest, least dramatic time to deal with any of it.
- June to July
Colonies build fast
Nests get real. Paper wasps show up under eaves, carpenter bees are drilling, and the yellow jacket nest you can't see yet is already growing under the lawn.
- August to September
Peak season, and peak stings
Yellow Jacket colonies hit full size, natural food runs short, and they get bold around bins, drinks, and barbecues. This is my busiest stretch of the year by a distance.
- October to February
The wasps go, the structural jobs stay
Wasp and bumble bee colonies die off after hard frosts and those nests aren't reused. Honey bees are the exception: a colony in a wall overwinters in there and is still a job in January. Male house spiders wander looking for mates and turn up in the open, ants keep going, and this is the cheapest stretch of the year to get prevention and carpenter bee repairs done.
If you're reading this in August with a nest by the back door, that's exactly the call to make today. Wasp, hornet and yellow jacket removal is the busiest thing I do, and same-day slots go early.
Meet Sam
A local specialist you can talk to directly
Sam The Bee Man is a new, local, independently owned business based in West Linn, OR. When you reach out, you're talking to the person who shows up: a Licensed Commercial Pesticide Operator who will give you a straight answer about what your situation needs, including when that answer isn't the one you were hoping for.
Ask about discounted and promotional rates, and about combining services for a lower combined price.
Get in touch with SamCommon questions
Bee and wasp removal questions Portland, Oregon homeowners ask me
How much does bee and wasp removal cost in Portland?
There is no flat rate, so call or message me and I'll quote it. The price depends on where the nest is and how big the colony has got. A paper wasp nest on a reachable eave is at the low end. A honey bee colony that has to be cut out of a wall is real work and costs more. I quote before I start, so nothing lands as a surprise.
Can you remove a wasp nest the same day I call?
Often, yes. Same-day service is available across the Portland metro when my schedule allows, and active nests near doorways, decks, and play areas get priority over everything else. Call or text me at (206) 817-7782 and I'll tell you straight away what today looks like.
Do you relocate bees instead of killing them?
With honey bees and bumble bees I try to, and it's the part of the job I care most about. It isn't a guarantee though, and I'd rather say that here than in your driveway. A swarm out in the open almost always makes it. A colony that has to be cut out of a wall depends on how much comb and brood survives the removal and how much of the structure has to come apart. Sometimes the colony can't be saved, and where that's the case I'll tell you before any work starts. Wasps, hornets, and yellow jackets are a different animal and those nests get destroyed.
What's the difference between a bee and a wasp?
Bees are round and fuzzy, with hair that carries pollen, and they're mostly interested in flowers. Wasps are smooth and shiny with a pinched waist, and they're the ones interested in your lunch. Paper wasps also trail their back legs below them in flight, though yellow jackets tuck theirs up, so the nest tells you faster: open honeycomb means paper wasps, a gray ball means hornets, and steady traffic into a hole means yellow jackets.
Are bees in my wall really a problem if I just leave them?
Yes, and the cost is the reason. A honey bee colony in a wall keeps growing and the comb and honey build up with it. If it's sprayed or abandoned, that honey stays in the wall, ferments, stains through drywall, and draws ants and wax moths. The removal itself also gets bigger the longer it sits: a colony that has spread through a cavity can turn a single visit into a job that needs a carpenter or a drywall contractor working alongside me. Handled early it's one trade and one visit.
Can you do the job without pesticide?
Sometimes, and I'd rather set that expectation honestly than promise it. Honey Bee work is mostly a box and a ladder, and a wasp nest sitting somewhere reachable and out in the open can often be lifted off whole. But most wasp, yellow jacket, and ant jobs need a product to actually finish the colony, because the nest is inside a cavity where nothing can be lifted out. Ask me when you call and I'll tell you which one yours is.
What areas around Portland do you cover?
One-time services cover the full Portland metro, including Portland, Beaverton, Hillsboro, Gresham, Lake Oswego, Tigard, Milwaukie, Oregon City, Tualatin, West Linn, and the surrounding suburbs. The annual subscription plan is a quarterly route, so it's offered to West Linn, Lake Oswego, and Oregon City clients only.
Call or Text (206) 817-7782
For the quickest response to your pest concerns. If you have an active nest that needs immediate attention, call or text me directly for a prioritized response.
For the fastest service, include these in your message
- 1A brief description of the issue
- 2Your exact location
- 3Your callback number
Pro tip: a clear photo of the insects or nest helps me identify the species and prepare the right tools before I arrive. You can attach photos right in the form.
I'm Away Through October 12
I'm not taking jobs until I'm back. You can still send your request, and I'll reply as soon as I return.
Request a quote
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