Wasp, Hornet & Yellowjacket Removal in Missoula, MT

A wasp nest near a door, deck or play area changes how you use your own yard. Unlike honey bees, wasps, hornets and yellowjackets can sting repeatedly, and they defend a nest aggressively when it is disturbed. Knocking a nest down or spraying it at close range is how many stings happen.

Paper wasps tend to build open, umbrella-shaped nests under eaves, railings and porch ceilings. Yellowjackets often nest in the ground, in wall voids or in hollow spots, and colonies can grow large by late summer. Bald-faced hornets build the grey, football-shaped nests that hang in trees and shrubs.

Getting the identification right matters because the approach, the timing and the risk all depend on the species and the location of the nest. If you are unsure, send a request with a description of where the insects are going and when you see them.

Wasp colonies in this region tend to follow a seasonal cycle. A queen that survived winter in a sheltered crack starts a small nest in spring, and the colony grows through summer. By late summer it can be at its largest and most defensive, which is why problems often seem to appear suddenly in August and September.

Many homes in the valley and foothills have features that suit them: wide eaves, wood siding, open sheds, woodpiles and storage areas that stay undisturbed. Gardens, compost and outdoor eating areas add food sources. Rodent burrows and gaps beneath decks often become ground nests for yellowjackets.

Cold winters mean old nests are abandoned, but the sheltered spots they used are often attractive again the next year. Checking eaves and outbuildings in spring can catch a small nest before it becomes a large one.

Nests start small in spring, grow through summer and tend to peak in late summer into fall, when yellowjackets are most numerous and most irritable around food and drinks. Calls often bunch up in August and September. The first hard frosts usually end the season for a colony, though the nest sites remain.