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The Ultimate Guide to Rodent Control
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Spring and late summer bring pollinators—and often unwanted wasp nests—near our homes. Many try DIY nest knockdown, only to see wasps return and rebuild. In my years working across the DMV, I’ve learned that proper nest removal means combining effective treatment, the right gear and thorough exclusion.
Wasp nests pose big health and home risks. Social wasps can sting repeatedly and release pheromones that draw in nest mates. According to the University of Kentucky, there are about 225,000 ER visits for stings each year.
Nests inside walls can weaken drywall or chew through flex ducts. Extension sources note yellowjackets will chew through drywall to expand voids.
I often see the most aggressive nests in August. That extra bite of late-summer heat can make a removal attempt truly risky.
Queens emerge in spring and start new nests. According to University of Maryland experts, queens appear in March–April.
Workers build up colonies through May–July. By August–September, some nests host thousands of wasps. Colonies die back at the first frost, leaving only mated queens to overwinter.
Queens rarely reuse the same nest, but good spots draw them back year after year. Residual pheromones make attics, soffits or burrows appealing again (restonyc.com).
Learn more on Types of Wasp Nests: How to Identify and Remove Them.
These wasps nest underground or in wall voids. Late summer colonies can grow to 3,000–5,000 workers.
They build football-shaped paper nests high off the ground. A single nest can host several hundred workers and defend aggressively.
Paper wasps hang open-comb umbrella nests under eaves or rafters. Their colonies rarely top a few hundred members.
Many homeowners face legal and gear hurdles with do-it-yourself.
Licensed technicians bring specialized training and equipment.
Professional teams use specialized gear to work near nests:
Bellows dusters help inject dust deep into voids. With a jet aerosol, we can reach aerial nests from a distance.
Our 4-step process combines treatment, removal and prevention.
We track entrances, flight lines and hidden voids in daylight. We mark ground nests for evening treatment.
With most workers inside, we inject dust or aerosol into single-entry nests. We leave the envelope intact for 48–72 hours so returning wasps pick up residues.
After a zero-flight interval, we cut aerial nests or excavate ground burrows. We seal all material in doubled contractor bags for disposal.
We seal soffit gaps ≥ 3 mm, repair screens and add hardware cloth to vents. We fill abandoned burrows with soil and clean spilled sweet drinks to remove future attractions.
We avoid treating flowering plants to protect pollinators. Treated nests become non-hazardous waste once they’re dry. Local ordinances, like DC’s IPM rules, often require written pesticide records.
Our SeasonGuard program bundles termite, pest and rodent services under one plan. It includes four quarterly visits and covers wasp nest removal when the nest is accessible.
For comprehensive coverage, SeasonGuard+ adds mosquito, tick and extra pest services across nine visits per year. Both plans offer unlimited callbacks and one monthly bill.
We serve Arlington, Northern Virginia, Silver Spring, and Bethesda with registered technicians.
As a third-generation family team, we offer direct expert phone consultations and responsive service.
In every job, our registered technicians focus on details that matter most to homeowners.
Effective wasp nest removal means more than knocking down a nest. It takes expert treatment, thorough removal and smart exclusion. Our team’s deep DMV experience and family-owned roots ensure every job gets the care it deserves. Call us at 703-683-2000 or email [email protected] for questions or an estimate.
Most dust labels require about 24 hours or until the dust is dry. Always follow your technician’s re-entry guidance.
If you’re sure no live wasps remain, you can gently sweep away the nest. When in doubt, contact a pest control company.
Proper dust treatments, exclusion repairs and removal of pheromone cues help keep wasps from rebuilding.
Anyone with systemic symptoms like hives or wheezing should call 911. People with prescriptions should carry their epinephrine auto-injector.
Registered technicians use visual cues and behavior patterns to spot honey bees. We never treat protected bee colonies.
While we don’t use that term, our plans include unlimited callbacks. We’ll return to address any activity between scheduled visits.
Yes. We use aerosol foams or dusts injected through small access points. Then we seal openings against future entry.
With five years of hands-on experience in the pest control industry, George Schulz is a registered technician with the Virginia Pest Management Association and a proud third-generation professional in a family business that’s been protecting homes for over 57 years. He manages and trains a team of service pros while also leading internal research efforts—recently spearheading a deep-dive review of thousands of documents on pest control materials to hand-pick the most kid and pet friendly, most effective solutions tailored specifically for homes in the DC metro area. Read his bio.
