Hornet Removal
Bald-faced hornet nest removal in Portland, Oregon, starting with whether it needs to come down at all
That big gray paper nest in your yard belongs to a bald-faced hornet colony. Text me a photo and I'll tell you if it has to go now, or if it's somewhere you can leave it to die off after the first hard frost.
- Same-day service available
- Licensed Commercial Pesticide Operator
- Quoted before any work begins
Does a bald-faced hornet nest actually need to come down?
Not every one of them does, and I'd rather tell you that than sell you a removal. The rule I use is distance and vibration. If the nest sits within about ten feet of a door, a driveway, a deck, a play area, or anything you mow, prune or trim, it needs to come down. If it's twenty-five feet up a fir at the back of the lot and nobody has a reason to be under it, leave it and the cold finishes it. These colonies live one season and the nest isn't reused, so a nest in a bare tree in January is an empty paper shell. What I will say is that this is not a nest to experiment with. In my experience bald-faced hornets go straight for the face, and the nests I get called to are usually football sized or bigger with hundreds of workers inside. Send me a photo and let me make the call.
- Over the driveway, front door, deck or playset: remove it.
- Buried in a hedge you have to trim: remove it before the clippers find it.
- High in a tree at the edge of the property: it can stay, and I'll say so.
- Anyone in the house allergic to stings: remove it, wherever it is.
- Whichever it is, let me look at the photo first rather than deciding from a ladder.
The hornet in your Portland, Oregon yard is a bald-faced hornet, and it's really a yellow jacket
Portland doesn't have true hornets. What we have is the bald-faced hornet, black with ivory white markings, half to three-quarters of an inch long. Oregon State's extension entomologists classify it as an aerial-nesting yellow jacket rather than a true hornet, and note that these colonies are annual: they die off with cold weather and the nest isn't reused the following year.
That changes what works on the nest. A bald-faced hornet nest is a sealed paper envelope with one small entrance near the bottom. The comb, the brood and the queen are all inside that shell. Spray hitting the outside coats gray paper and runs off, which is why a can emptied from the lawn leaves an alerted colony and an intact nest. The product has to go through that one entrance while the workers are home.
Timing changes the answer too. In June a new nest is the size of a golf ball. By late August it can be bigger than a basketball, and OSU Extension notes yellow jackets run more active through the hot, dry months and turn more defensive in fall as the colony dies off. They also behave differently from ground yellow jackets: they hunt flies and other insects, so they care little about your soda can and a great deal about anything that vibrates near the nest. When they do come out, they come at head height. That is why I work these in a full suit and veil, and why a ladder, a pole or a garden hose is a genuinely bad idea: the first thing that happens is that you need both hands and can no longer see. The wider picture is on my hub page for wasp, hornet and yellow jacket control.
First, make sure it's actually a bald-faced hornet nest
People land on this page with all three of these, because around here they all get called hornets. Thirty seconds in this table tells you whether you're in the right place, and the bottom row points you at the page you actually want.
| What to check | Bald-faced hornet (this page) | Ground yellow jacket | Paper wasp |
|---|---|---|---|
| The nest itself |  |  |  |
| Shape | A closed gray paper ball you can't see into, with one small entrance hole near the bottom. | Nothing visible at all. Just a hole with steady traffic running in and out of it. | An open umbrella of hexagonal cells on a short stalk. You can see straight into the cells. |
| Size | Football sized or bigger by the time somebody calls me, with hundreds of workers inside. | Hidden, and much bigger than the entrance suggests. A late-summer one can reach basketball size underground. | Small. Often a few dozen cells and a handful of wasps on it. |
| Where you find it | Hanging off a branch, an eave, a gable peak, a shrub or a deck rail, out in the open. | A hole in the lawn or bare dirt, a rockery, a wall void, or a gap behind the siding. | Under an eave, a porch ceiling, or a deck rail, tucked somewhere sheltered. |
| How defensive | The worst of the three. Vibration near the nest sets them off, and in my experience they come at head height. | Very defensive at the entrance, which is why running a mower over one is how most people here get stung. | The calmest of the three. They'll defend the comb if you get right up to it, and not much beyond that. |
| So if that's what you have | You're on the right page. Keep reading, or text me a photo. | Go to yellow jacket removal | Go to paper wasp removal |
Not sure which column you're in? That's the normal call, not the embarrassing one. Photograph it from a distance with the phone zoomed in, text it to (206) 817-7782, and I'll tell you which one you've got before you read any further.
How I remove a bald-faced hornet nest, from your photo to the nest in my truck
Five steps, and the second one is where people save money.
- 1
Text me a photo
Send a photo to (206) 817-7782 with a note on how high it is and what's underneath. I'll tell you what it is, whether it's live, and what it costs.
- 2
I tell you if you even need me
If the nest is high, out of the way, and nobody in the house reacts to stings, I'll say so and you keep your money. That's the honest answer more often than you'd think.
- 3
I look at it in person before I touch it
Height, the entrance, how hard the workers are flying, and where the household has to walk. A nest against a soffit is a different job from one on an open branch.
- 4
I treat the colony through the entrance
In full protective gear, whenever I can get to you, which is often the middle of the day. Product goes into the core of the nest through the entrance, not onto the outside. You and the pets stay in with the windows shut while I work.
- 5
The nest comes down and leaves with me
Once the colony is finished I take the nest down, take it away, and check the nearby eaves and shrubs for anything else that has moved in.
What to do, and what to skip, while a hornet nest is still hanging there
Most stings here come from vibration and sudden close movement rather than from someone walking by, so most of this is about a few quiet days.
Do this while you wait
- Mark the spot so nobody wanders under it. A cone or a lawn chair is plenty.
- Move the trimmer, the mower and any ladder work to the far side of the property.
- Keep dogs off that side of the yard. A dog barking up at a nest gets stung on the face.
- Tell me if anyone in the house is allergic to stings. It changes where you land on my schedule.
Skip these
- Don't empty a can at it from the lawn. The spray lands on a sealed paper shell, and the colony comes out to find whoever did it.
- Don't knock it down with a pole, a rake or a hose. I understand the appeal, and it goes badly nearly every time.
- Don't try it after dark on the theory that they're asleep. They aren't asleep, they're all home.
- Don't set a ladder under it. The ladder shakes, the nest is at head height, and you have nowhere to go.
Nest locations I'd remove right away, and the ones I'd leave alone
Find the row that matches your nest and you have your answer.
| Where the nest is | What I'd do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under a soffit, eave, gutter return or shed roof | Remove it | It's at ladder height on the building, growing against your wall all summer. Gutter and roof work stop until it's handled. |
| Over a driveway, front walk, deck or patio | Remove it | Someone passes under it daily. One slammed door, one basketball, one leaf blower, and the colony is out. |
| Inside a hedge, shrub or ivy you have to trim, or on a playset | Remove it | You don't see it until the clippers hit it, and kids and dogs get close fast. A lot of my hornet calls start this way. |
| Twenty-five feet up a fir at the back of the lot | Leave it | Nobody has a reason to be under it, and the colony dies off with cold weather. You'd be paying me for a problem you don't have. |
| A bare gray nest still hanging in January | Leave it, or drop it yourself | It's empty. Bald-faced hornets don't move back into last year's nest, so there's nothing to treat. |
One override: if anyone in the house has a known sting allergy, every row above becomes a removal. Can't judge the distance from the ground? Send the photo and I'll call it for you.
What bald-faced hornet nest removal costs in Portland, Oregon, and what moves the number
There is no set price, so here is the honest version. The number depends on the nest in front of me, and I quote it before I start, never after. A nest under a low eave is straightforward. A basketball-sized one thirty feet up a fir is not, and I'd rather say so on the phone than in your driveway.
Pricing
You get a quote before any work begins
Call or message me for a quote. Send a photo to (206) 817-7782 and I can usually price it without a visit.
Call or text (206) 817-7782Height and access
Low eave and shrub nests are the simple end. Height, a steep roof, or a nest deep inside a hedge all add work and gear.
Time of year and colony size
A June nest the size of a golf ball is quick. The same nest in late August holds several hundred workers and takes more product, time and care.
How the nest is attached
A nest on an open branch comes off clean. One built flush against siding or a deck frame takes more care to bring away in one piece.
What else is going on
If I'm out for the hornet nest and find yellow jackets in the rockery or ants in the kitchen, I'll price it together at a discount. Several services on one visit beats separate trips.
Same-day service is available across the metro when my schedule allows, and an active nest over a doorway is the call I move things around for.
Booking hornet nest removal in Portland, Oregon, and what happens after the nest is gone
I'm Sam, and this is a one-man business. When you call or text (206) 817-7782 you get me, not a dispatcher and not a rotating crew. I'm a Licensed Commercial Pesticide Operator based in West Linn, and I cover the full Portland metro for one-time jobs. A honey bee colony is worth trying to save and I do try. A hornet colony over your front door gets destroyed, and I'd rather say that plainly than dress it up.
Once the nest is down, that colony is done, and there's nothing left to seal or treat. What can happen is a new queen picking a similar spot next spring, because the corners they like stay likeable: sheltered eaves, dense shrubs, the underside of a deck. Catch a golf-ball-sized nest in May and it's the cheapest hornet call you'll make.
If stinging insects are a yearly event at your address, the annual plan is worth a look. Complete Insect Protection is offered to West Linn, Lake Oswego and Oregon City clients only: quarterly visits, preventative interior and exterior treatment, and free priority emergency visits between quarters. Read how it works on the insect pest control page, or send me a photo of the nest and we'll start with today's problem.
Google reviews
What Portland, Oregon homeowners say after the job
5.0 from 25 Google reviews
Read them on GoogleSam 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 Great service, fast response!
Alex Ramberg 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 A+++++! We were so relieved to find Sam the Bee Man! After an unsuccessful removal by a different bee pro, we were feeling helpless until I found Sam. Not all bee experts have the skill to cut into a structure, but Sam does. He used a he...
Jennifer Stafford Professional and friendly to work with. Great communicator and very knowledgeable. Would strongly recommend for any pest control or be removal services. If you have a wasp, they also specialize in that.
Detail Maestro Sam came out the same day I contacted him, and was able to quickly find and remove a yellow jacket nest. He also was able to talk to me about options for treating ants in my backyard, offering varying levels of treatment that felt most...
Ali C I had a bee problem. I messaged Sam this morning at 8:30am. He responded by 8:46am and was at my building by 1pm. Sam is highly knowledgeable and extremely thoughtful. His approach to bee management is taking into account the safety of t...
Nadine Stanton Sam is so knowledgable and is a godsend to us for keeping the ants and spiders away in our home. His membership model is super valuable and reasonably priced and perfect for our needs. He's also just super friendly and takes his time to...
Veronica McOmie Sam's my new pest control go to man. I had a HUGE ant issue in the primary bathroom. Sam came out the same day I called. He assessed the situation, determined the entry point and provided options for getting rid of them. I have signed...
M R Sam was great. When I had a bumble bee hive in my garage, he came out the same day and was able to relocate the hive to a safer location.
ryan spooner Great experience with Sam the Bee Man! Professional and thorough. Highly recommend!
Jessica Reed
Call or Text (206) 817-7782
For the quickest response to your bee, wasp, or pest concern.
Common questions
Common questions about bald-faced hornet removal in Portland, Oregon
Is a bald-faced hornet a real hornet?
No, and that's not me being pedantic. It's an aerial-nesting yellow jacket that everyone calls a hornet because of its size and that big gray nest. It matters because the colony lives inside a sealed paper envelope with one entrance, which is why spraying the outside does so little.
How do I get rid of a bald-faced hornet nest?
Product has to go through the entrance at the bottom of the nest and into the core, in proper protective gear, and then the nest comes down. Anything sprayed at the outside runs off and leaves you an alerted colony. I do these whenever I can get to the job, including mid-day, because a nest by a doorway is not worth leaving until the light is perfect.
Can I just leave a hornet nest alone until winter?
Often, yes. If it's high up, away from foot traffic, and nobody in the house is allergic to stings, the colony dies off with cold weather and you've spent nothing. If it's over a driveway, a door or a play area, don't wait. Send a photo and I'll tell you which you have.
Do bald-faced hornets use the same nest again next year?
No. These colonies live a single season, and the nest isn't reused the following year. A gray nest still hanging in a bare tree in January is an empty shell, so there's nothing to treat and no reason to pay anyone to remove it. Drop it yourself if it bothers you.
How much does hornet nest removal cost in Portland?
Call or message me for a quote. The number depends on the nest's size, height and how it's attached. A low eave nest is the simple end. A basketball-sized nest thirty feet up a fir in late August is more work. Text a photo and I'll quote it before I come out.
The nest is thirty feet up a tree. Can you still get it?
Send me the photo and I'll give you a straight answer. For a nest that high with nobody underneath it, the honest recommendation is often to leave it and let the cold finish it. When a high nest does sit over something that matters, I'll tell you what it takes and what it costs first.
Are bald-faced hornet stings dangerous?
They sting repeatedly and defend the nest in numbers, so a bad encounter means several stings rather than one. For most people that's pain and swelling. If anyone in the house has a known sting allergy, treat any nest on the property as urgent and follow your doctor's plan for reactions.
How fast can you get to a hornet nest?
Same-day service is available across the Portland metro when my schedule allows, and an active nest over a doorway or a play area is the kind of call I rearrange my day around. Text me, mention if anyone's allergic, and I'll tell you honestly when I can be there.
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