Paper wasps
Long-legged wasps that build open, umbrella-shaped combs under eaves, porch ceilings, railings and shutters. They are calmer than yellowjackets unless the nest is bumped, but nests near doors, steps and swing sets still need treatment.
Urgent? Phones answered 24/7
Wasp, Hornet and Yellowjacket Nest Removal in Indianapolis
Treatment and removal of paper wasp, yellowjacket and bald-faced hornet nests in eaves, porches, walls and lawns.
- Phones answered 24/7
- Old-house sealing and mice
- Price approved before treatment
- Written report every visit
Get a fast quote
Fastest: call (855) 974-4733. Or send this and we call you back.
Wasps & Hornets
Wasp & Hornet Removal: what it covers
Quick answer
Indianapolis Pest Control arranges wasp and hornet removal for Indianapolis homes and businesses, from Irvington porches to Beech Grove garages. A local technician treats paper wasp, yellowjacket and bald-faced hornet nests in eaves, walls, trees and lawns, then takes down the ones that can be reached. Calls are answered 24/7, with same-day service when available.
Late summer is when stinging insects turn into a real problem on the east side. Paper wasp nests that were the size of a quarter in June fill the corners of porch ceilings by August, yellowjacket colonies in lawns and wall voids reach full size, and gray bald-faced hornet nests appear in maples and shrubs along the alleys. Mowing over a ground nest or swinging open a carriage house door is often how people find them.
Most nests are a quick job for a technician with the right gear, and some are not: yellowjackets inside a wall, a hornet nest high in a tree, or a colony right beside a door everyone uses. If anyone in the house is allergic to stings, treat a nest near the house as urgent. The price, including any after-hours fee, is explained and approved before work starts.
Older houses give wasps more places to build. Victorian cornices, Craftsman eaves with exposed rafter tails, gaps in old brick and the undersides of deep porches all offer shelter from the rain of a wet spring, which is why the same houses tend to see nests year after year.
- Service area
- Indianapolis & Marion County
- Availability
- Phones answered 24/7, emergencies first
- Typical cost
- $110–$300 (estimate)
- Phone
- (855) 974-4733
Warning signs
Signs you need wasp & hornet removal
Do not plug the entrance of a wall or ground nest, spray a nest from the top of a ladder, or use gasoline or fire on any nest. A blocked colony can chew into the house, ladder falls are a real risk, and fuel can start a fire. Keep children and pets away and call.
- Wasps flying in and out of one spot under the eaves, soffit, gable vent or porch ceiling
- A steady line of yellowjackets entering a hole in the lawn, a landscape timber or a gap in the foundation
- A gray, football-shaped paper nest hanging in a tree, shrub or under the eaves
- Open, umbrella-shaped combs under porch railings, shutters, grill lids or playsets
- Chewing or scratching inside a wall, and wasps showing up indoors near ceiling lights or windows
- Yellowjackets crowding trash cans, soda cans and outdoor meals from August on
- Mud tubes on siding, porch ceilings or the inside walls of a garage
Cost
How much does wasp & hornet removal cost in Indianapolis?
Most single nests fall within one range. Wall voids, high nests that need a tall ladder and several nests on one property cost more, and night or weekend visits you request carry an after-hours fee.
| Job | Typical range | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Wasp, hornet or yellowjacket nest removal | $110–$300 | Per visit; depends on the number of nests and where they are |
| After-hours / emergency fee | $50–$150 | Only for night or weekend visits you ask for |
| Quarterly general pest plan (per visit) | $95–$155 | Regular perimeter visits; ask what nest work is included |
Estimates for Marion County and nearby towns in 2026. The exact price is explained and approved before any treatment begins.
Options
Types and options for wasp & hornet removal
Yellowjackets
Compact black-and-yellow wasps that nest in the ground, in landscape timbers and inside walls and attics. Colonies grow large by late summer and defend the nest hard, so a ground nest in a mowed lawn or a wall nest beside a bedroom goes to the top of the list.
Bald-faced hornets
Black-and-white insects, actually a kind of yellowjacket, that build gray, enclosed paper nests in trees, shrubs and under eaves. They guard a wide area around the nest, which makes trimming hedges or picking up limbs nearby risky.
Mud daubers
Slender wasps that build tubes of mud on siding, porch ceilings and garage walls. They rarely sting and usually need nothing more than scraping off, which can be done during any visit.
Skip the guesswork. Call for a straight answer.
Tell us what's happening and we'll tell you honestly whether it's a quick fix, and what wasp & hornet removal should cost.
Is it safe to take down a wasp nest on my own?
A small paper wasp nest the size of a coin, low and out in the open, is something many homeowners handle. Anything larger, any yellowjacket or hornet nest, and any nest in a wall, attic, the ground or above ladder height is safer left to a technician in protective gear. Stings come fast once a colony is disturbed.
Ladders are the hidden danger. A cloud of yellowjackets at the top of an extension ladder against a Victorian gable can cause a fall that is worse than the stings. The same goes for a hornet nest in a tree above the driveway.
Never pour gasoline into a ground nest or try to burn a nest off the eaves. Both risk burns and fire, and neither reliably kills the colony.
What happens when yellowjackets nest inside a wall?
Yellowjackets often move into wall voids through gaps in old siding, mortar joints, gable vents or the joint where a porch roof meets the house. The nest is treated through its entrance with dust that the insects carry inside. The hole is not sealed right away, because trapped yellowjackets can chew through plaster or drywall into a room.
Wait until there has been no traffic at the entrance for several days, then seal it with caulk, mortar or a patch that matches the surface. In a historic district, check with the IHPC before changing visible exterior features such as siding or masonry.
If wasps start appearing indoors, around a ceiling light or a window, close the door to that room, put a towel along the bottom and call. It usually means the nest has found a path into the living space.
Why do yellowjackets get worse in August and September?
Yellowjacket colonies keep growing all summer and are at their largest in late summer. Around then, workers turn more and more to sweet food, so they crowd trash cans, soda cans and picnics. Big colonies also defend the nest harder, and that is when most stings from mowing and yard work happen.
That is also why a ground nest nobody noticed in June becomes a problem by Labor Day. Shady lawns, yards backing onto wooded lots and the soft ground near creeks such as Pleasant Run give yellowjackets plenty of loose soil and old burrows to nest in.
Keep garbage cans lidded, rinse recycling and cover drinks outside in late summer. Those steps cut down on stings even when the nest is somewhere you cannot see. The Indianapolis pest calendar shows how wasp season lines up with the rest of the year.
Do wasp nests survive a Indianapolis winter?
No. In central Indiana, paper wasp, yellowjacket and hornet colonies die off after the hard freezes of late fall. Only newly mated queens survive, tucked under bark, in attics or in wall gaps, and each one starts a fresh nest in spring. The old nest is generally not used again.
So a nest found in November, after the first cold snaps, usually needs no treatment; once there is no activity, it can be knocked down and thrown away. A nest found in April or May, while it is still small, is the easiest and cheapest one to deal with.
Queens waking up in an attic during a warm spell in winter sometimes wander into the living space. One or two slow wasps in January do not mean there is an active nest in the house.
Which stings need a doctor right away?
Call 911 if someone has trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips or throat, hives spreading across the body, dizziness or fainting after a sting. Those are signs of a severe allergic reaction. People with a known sting allergy should carry their prescribed epinephrine and use it as directed. Many stings at once also need medical care.
For an ordinary sting, wash the spot, apply a cold pack and watch for swelling that keeps spreading. Wasps and yellowjackets do not leave a stinger behind the way honey bees do, and they can sting more than once.
If anyone in the household is allergic, say so when you call, so a nest near a door or play area can be handled as urgent.
Our process
How our wasp & hornet removal visit works
Find the nest and every entrance
The technician identifies the insect, locates the nest and all of its entrances, and checks whether a wall, attic or ground nest connects to the inside of the house.
Confirm the price
You hear the cost before work starts, including any after-hours fee if you asked for a night or weekend visit.
Treat in protective gear
Insecticidal dust or another labeled product goes into the nest or entrance, often early or late in the day when most of the colony is home. Pet and family precautions are explained first.
Take down what can be reached
Exposed nests under eaves, on porches and in shrubs come down once the insects are dead. Nests in walls or the ground are usually left to dry out after treatment rather than dug out.
Report and sealing advice
A written service report lists what was found, what was applied and where. The technician explains when it is safe to seal the entrance, which is only after activity stops.
Marion County
Why wasp & hornet removal is different in East side Indianapolis
East-side architecture gives wasps lots of shelter. Victorian and Queen Anne houses in Irvington and Woodruff Place have deep eaves, bracketed cornices, gable trim and porch ceilings where paper wasps build out of the rain. Carriage houses and detached garages that stay shut most of the summer collect nests along the rafters, and Craftsman bungalows in Beech Grove offer the same under their wide eaves.
Yellowjackets take advantage of older masonry. Gaps in mortar, open joints and loose foundation stones let them reach wall voids, basement rim joists and the space under porch floors. Brick doubles around Fountain Square and wooded lots near Fort Harrison State Park in Lawrence can both see ground and wall nests.
Newer subdivisions in Franklin Township, New Palestine and Fishers see more nests under vinyl soffits, inside playsets and fence posts and in landscape timbers. Across the area, the season runs from small spring nests in April and May to the late-summer peak and ends after the first hard freezes.
Where we work
Wasp & Hornet Removal across Marion County
- Wasps & Hornets in Irvington
- Wasps & Hornets in Warren Park
- Wasps & Hornets in Woodruff Place
- Wasps & Hornets in Beech Grove
- Wasps & Hornets in Cottage Home
- Wasps & Hornets in Fountain Square
- Wasps & Hornets in Lockerbie Square
- Wasps & Hornets in Garfield Park
- Wasps & Hornets in Old Northside
- Wasps & Hornets in Downtown Indianapolis
- Wasps & Hornets in Herron-Morton Place
- Wasps & Hornets in Lawrence
- Wasps & Hornets in Cumberland
- Wasps & Hornets in Franklin Township
- Wasps & Hornets in Southport
Not sure if you're covered? Check your ZIP code.
Related
Related services
Pest Control
Quarterly or one-time pest control for east-side Indianapolis homes, from Irvington basements to Cumberland subdivisions.
Spider Control
Web removal and spider treatment for old basements, deep porches and garages across Irvington and the east side.
Carpenter Ant Control
Finding and treating carpenter ant nests in porch columns, sills and leaky roof edges on older east-side houses.
Guides
Read before you book
Month by Month: Pests to Expect in Indianapolis
In Indianapolis, termites swarm from March to May, ants and ticks pick up in spring, mosquitoes run from May through September, and wasps peak in late summer.
FAQ
Wasp & Hornet Removal FAQs
Can a nest by the front door be handled today?
Often, yes. Calls are answered 24/7, and most calls are scheduled the same day when a technician is available. If someone in the house is allergic or the nest is beside a door, say so when you call (855) 974-4733, and use another door until the visit.
Why are nests often treated early or late in the day?
Most of the colony is inside the nest at dawn and dusk, and the insects are slower when it is cool. Treating then reaches more of them at once. Daytime treatment still works, especially on small paper wasp nests, and an urgent nest is not left waiting for evening.
Can I keep wasps from building under my porch again?
You can make it less inviting. Knock down small starter nests in April and May, seal gaps in soffits and trim before spring, and keep porch ceilings clean and painted. Early nests are small and quick to treat if you call as soon as you notice one.
Are honey bees treated the same way?
No. A honey bee swarm hanging on a branch often moves on within a day or two, and a local beekeeper may be able to collect it. Bees living inside a wall need a different approach, so describe what you see when you call and the technician will explain the options.
Is the gray nest in my maple a hornet nest?
A gray, enclosed, football-shaped nest in a tree or shrub is usually a bald-faced hornet nest. Despite the name, bald-faced hornets are a kind of yellowjacket, black with white face markings. They defend the area around the nest, so do not trim, mow or shake branches near it.
Should I mow over a yellowjacket hole in the lawn?
Not until it is treated. Mark the spot with a flag or lawn chair from a distance and keep the mower, kids and pets away. The vibration of a mower brings yellowjackets out fast. After treatment, wait until there is no activity at the hole before mowing that patch again.