Wasp nest near mailbox scares homeowner - Wasp removal and control in Shark River, NJ

Challenge

A homeowner in the Shark River Hills community of Neptune Township contacted Cowleys after observing wasps flying around bushes adjacent to her mailbox. Because she was so concerned about being stung, she could not get her mail until this problem was resolved. She asked us if a pest control technician was available immediately. Cowleys makes every attempt to service each of our current and new customers as quickly as possible. We understand that any for a home or business owner a pest infestation is a true emergency. Almost a soon as our customer service representative finished taking down the customer information, it was forwarded to me and I went straight to her home. 

I already knew the general type of infestation and the location, so I only spoke with the customer briefly before taking action. First, I inspected the outdoor area near the mailbox where the stinging insects had been seen. I immediately found a distinctive grey spherical paper nest, and knew immediately what I was dealing with —baldfaced hornets. It was an intimidating nest, roughly the size of a small basketball. The nest wasn’t quite as large as an official NBA basketball, but with these wasps, it’s just a matter of time. They work nonstop to make their nests bigger and bigger in order to accommodate the ever-increasing combs and cells as the queen produces more workers. The queen starts building the nest, laying an egg inside a cell and as she builds her way out, constructs a comb. These nests are built tier by tier to fit the increasing size of the colony. After the first generation of wasps emerge as winged adults, they take over building and maintaining the nest and caring for the colony. By the time I found the nest, it was already big enough to easily house hundreds of wasps. 

Baldfaced hornets are highly aggressive and very territorial around their nest. They are a physically strong insect, and more than capable of stinging through a layer of thick clothing. Even full body suits and face protectors are not impermeable barriers against stings from these ornery insects. One unique behavior of baldfaced hornets is their ability to squirt venom from their stinger into the eyes of a nest intruder. Ouch! Needless to say, homeowners should think twice about removing these nests as a weekend DIY project. Aggravating the colony can send hundreds of angry wasps right in your direction. One sting is painful; multiple stings are downright excruciating. And if you have a sensitivity to their venom, these stings are potentially life-threatening.

Baldfaced hornets are distinctive insects, readily recognizable to any pest control technician. And if he is honest about it, these wasps make them a bit more nervous than dealing with other pest infestations like ants or pantry moths. We don’t like being stung any more than you do! These are large wasps, about three-quarters of an inch long, black with ivory markings on their faces and abdomens, and usually build their nests at least a few feet off the ground. They are a type of aerial yellowjacket, even though they do not have the more recognizable yellow and black coloring of their relatives. These insects do a great job of killing other pests like flies, caterpillars, and spiders. If their nest is in an out-of-the-way location, it’s best to just leave it alone. However, in situations like this, you can’t. They become a dangerous nuisance once they build their nests in locations that pose a threat to people — and there a few places worse than building a nest right near your mailbox. After all, everyone wants Mister Postman to look and see if he has a letter in his bag for me! And for this Shark River homeowner, baldfaced hornets hovering around her mailbox ruined everything.

Solution

Treating baldfaced hornet nests can be tricky and dangerous. For this nest, I first used an aerosol with treatment liquid that quickly “knockdown” the hornet activity. Ideally, treatment should occur at night when the wasps are less active, but we are used to dealing with them during the day, and I wanted to resolve this immediately. Once the hornet activity stopped, I carefully removed the nest, packaged it, and took it with me. There is always a chance of a few stunned hornets inside the nest. I don’t want to leave anything on the property that can potentially cause problems later on.

My goal with any stinging insect job is to give homeowners peace of mind knowing that, with the insects killed and the nest gone and off their property, the problem is completely resolved. This homeowner was quite pleased that she could now check to see if her mail has arrived without worrying about anything more than receiving another bill!