The short version
Around St. George, queens start nests in April, and colonies peak in late summer. Small, low paper wasp nests can be handled at dusk. Leave wall, ground and high nests to a pro.
- Treat nests at dusk, when wasps are home.
- Never seal a hole wasps are using.
- Ground and wall nests are best left to a pro.
- Knock down small nests early in spring.
- Call 911 for breathing trouble after a sting.
Anyone in St. George dealing with wasps, hornets or yellowjackets at home.
What to look for
Late-summer colonies are big and quick to sting. Around St. Near a door or deck, stings will happen. Wasps defend the area around their nest.
- 1Buzzing audible through a ceiling or wall on warm afternoons.
- 2Wasps disappearing into a hole in the lawn or a wall.
- 3Steady wasp traffic in and out of one soffit gap.
- 4Multiple stings on one person during a single outdoor task.
- 5Wasps flying straight lines to and from one spot.
- 6Chewed, scarred wood on fences, decks or cedar siding.
Why it’s worth acting soon
- Nests grow all summer.
- Ground nests get disturbed by mowing.
- Wall nests can chew through into rooms.
- Stings are dangerous for anyone allergic.
Treatment options and typical costs
Inspection and Nest Identification
$75–$200
Watching flight lines at midday usually reveals the entrance. Around St. George, that step separates a quick aerial nest job from a wall-void problem that needs dust and a return visit.
- Time
- 45–75 minutes
- Best for
- Every job; species and nest location decide the method
Aerial Nest Treatment and Removal
$100–$400
A treated nest should go quiet within a day. A few stragglers are normal. Ask whether removal and a follow-up check are included.
- Time
- 30–90 minutes
- Best for
- Exposed paper wasp, hornet and bald-faced hornet nests
Preventive Spring Treatment and Follow-Up
$150–$400
Prevention won't stop every nest, and no honest company in St. George will say it does. It cuts the odds and catches nests that start early.
- Time
- 45–90 minutes
- Best for
- Repeat nests, or someone allergic to stings
Ground and Wall-Void Nest Treatment
$150–$500
Never seal a live void nest. Plugging the hole too early can drive wasps into the house.
- Time
- 30–60 minutes plus a return visit
- Best for
- Yellowjackets in lawns, retaining walls, soffits and wall voids
Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.
In cold-winter areas, old nests are empty by now. It's a good time to fix vent covers and siding gaps before queens go looking in spring.Which wasps live around St. George.
They rarely sting. Mud daubers build tube-shaped mud nests. Bald-faced hornets build big gray nests in trees and eaves. They cause most stings. Western yellowjackets nest in the ground and in wall voids. They build open, umbrella-shaped combs under eaves and railings. George. Paper wasps are the most common around St.
Local wasps conditions in St. George.
George and Utah every day can point out the specific conditions that matter most here, and getting the scope, price, and follow-up terms in writing makes it easier to compare options. A provider who works St. George's seasonal timing lets you schedule treatment before the busy stretch rather than after it, which usually means faster service and a more accurate quote. Knowing St. George usually starts outside and works inward, checking the foundation, gaps around doors and windows, and any moisture or clutter near the structure first. An inspection in St. George, the area is mostly suburban, so wasps pressure can differ from one block to the next depending on how tight the entry points are and how much food, water, or shelter is close by. Around St. George sits in a hot desert climate, and that sets the pace for wasp activity here: mid-summer through fall (July-October). St.
An unscreened foundation vent is an easy way in for a yellowjacket queen. Wasps flying in and out of a vent all day are a sign of a nest inside.When they’re most active.
Early spring is the easiest time to remove small starts. Nests die back after the first hard freeze in fall. Around St.
Where they nest around houses here.
A ground nest looks like wasps streaming from one hole. Watch for traffic in and out of gaps. Check eaves, attic vents and window frames. George have basements, but most nests are higher up. Plenty of homes in St.
A year of wasps in St. George.
- Winter: lows near 31°F in St. George. Nests die; only queens survive. - Late summer: peak season. Workers hunt sweets near people. - Summer: highs near 102°F in St. George help colonies grow fast. - Spring: queens start new nests around April. Knock down small starts.
Wasp, hornet or bee?
- Honey bee: fuzzy and golden. about relocation. - Mud dauber: thin waist, mud tube nests. Rarely stings. - Hornet: larger, with a big closed paper nest. - Yellowjacket: bright yellow and black, nests in the ground. - Paper wasp: slim, long legs, open comb.
If you get stung.
If someone carries an epinephrine pen, use it. 911 for trouble breathing or a swollen face or throat. An antihistamine can ease itching and swelling. Wash the sting and use a cold pack. Move away from the nest first.
Keeping wasps away from the patio.
- Gaps: seal gaps after a nest is gone. - Spring checks: knock down small nests early. - Fruit: pick up fallen fruit. - Trash: keep lids tight and bins away from doors. - Food: cover plates and drinks outdoors.
Ground nests: what to do.
Pros treat ground nests at night, when the colony is home. Don't pour gasoline or water in. Don't mow over it. Keep kids and pets away. Mark the hole with a flag.
A nest, or just visitors?
Follow the line back to an eave, vent, shrub or hole. Watch at dusk, when they fly home. A nest shows steady traffic to one spot. Wasps on flowers or trash cans may come from far away.
Treating a small nest yourself, safely.
- Leave it overnight, then bag the nest. - Never spray from a ladder. - Use a jet wasp spray from several feet away. - Wear long sleeves, pants and gloves. - Wait until dusk, when wasps are home and slow. - Never if anyone in the house is allergic. - Only if it’s small, low and out in the open.
Wasps and pets.
Keep pet food and water bowls indoors in late summer. your vet if the throat swells or breathing changes. Most stings just swell a little. Dogs often snap at wasps and get stung on the face.
Kids and wasps.
Use cups with lids for sweet drinks outside. Check play sets, slides and playhouses for nests each spring. Swatting makes a sting more likely. Teach kids to walk away calmly.
After the nest is gone.
Knock down small new nests early next spring. Check nearby eaves for new starts. Seal the gap a wall nest used once it's quiet. Wasps don't reuse old nests.
Wasps at picnics and barbecues.
- Kids: teach them to walk away calmly. - Calm: don’t swat; slowly move away. - Trash: bag scraps and close the bin. - Food: keep it covered until you eat. - Drinks: use cups with lids or straws.
Ground nests in the lawn.
Mark it, and keep mowers and kids away until it's treated. Watch for wasps flying in and out of the grass. Yellowjackets often nest in old rodent holes.
Questions to ask before you sign.
- Is a return visit included? - Is removal of the dead nest included? - How will you treat a nest inside the wall? - What kind of wasp is it?
What affects the price
- Return visit to confirm a void nest is dead.
- Roof pitch and safe access to the nest location.
- After-hours, weekend or emergency scheduling.
- Sealing gaps after the nest is dead.
- Ground nest with multiple entrances or deep burrows.
- Local labor rates and seasonal demand.
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What's your biggest concern about wasps?
When to call for help
Call for nests in walls, attics, the ground, or anywhere high. right away if anyone in the house is allergic. Don't seal a hole wasps are using. They'll find another way in.
What you can do yourself
Knock it down the next day. Big, high or hidden nests are a job for a pro. A small, reachable paper wasp nest is a fair DIY job. Spray it at dusk with a wasp aerosol.
Wasps in St. George
St. George only gets about 8 inches of rain a year, so local wasps often gather at pools, fountains and dripping taps. Winter lows near 31°F in St. George end the season; only new queens survive, tucked into sheltered spots. In St. George's neighborhoods, eaves, decks, play sets and shrubs are favorite nest sites.
Local research
Wasps in St. George, UT: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which wasps actually live in Utah, when they are busiest around St. George, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Wasp species recorded in Utah
- Western yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica) — UC IPM: 'the most commonly encountered species and is sometimes called the "meat bee"' in California and the Western states; ground and wall-void nester and aggressive scavenger…
- Bald-faced hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) — Penn State: 'found in most of the 48 contiguous states and D.C., throughout Canada and in Alaska'; actually an aerial yellowjacket that builds the football-shaped gray paper nes…
- European paper wasp (Polistes dominula) — Penn State: 'first reported in 1978 around Boston', now 'coast to coast ... although they are apparently less common in the Southeast and Great Plains'; nests in 'eaves of struc…
- Native paper wasps (Polistes spp. (e.g., P. fuscatus, P. apachus, P. exclamans)) — Open umbrella-shaped nests under eaves, porch ceilings and railings. UC IPM: paper wasp colonies 'vary between 15 to 200 individuals'; Penn State: queens 'establish nests in May…
When wasps are busiest around St. George
USU: western yellowjacket 'queens start new every spring; colonies grow throughout the summer months'; 'Colony dies off every fall; fertilized queens overwinter'; they 'scavenge in fall making outdoor events dangerous'.
USU: western yellowjacket 'Nests pose a serious health risk to humans'.
For context, nationally
- 788 — Deaths from hornet, wasp, and bee stings, 2011–2021 (US). CDC MMWR
- 72 deaths per year — Average annual sting deaths, 2011–2021 (US). CDC MMWR
Sources: CDC MMWR; Yellowjackets and Other Social Wasps (Pest Notes); Baldfaced Hornet; European Paper Wasp. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources
Simple ways to keep wasps away
- Fill old rodent burrows and mulch-bed holes in spring.
- Caulk around cable, gas and conduit entry points.
- Mow at dawn when ground-nesting wasps are sluggish.
- Cover drinks outdoors and use lidded cups for kids.
- Note where nests appeared and inspect there early next year.
- Plug weep holes with mesh inserts, not solid caulk.
A good wasp quote names the species, where the nest is, how it will be treated and whether taking it down or sealing the gap is included.Did you know?
Fig wasps pollinate figs and are smaller than a rice grain
Yellowjacket nests are never reused a second year
Questions people ask
Will wasps come back to the same nest next year?
They don't reuse old nests. New queens often pick the same sheltered spots, though.
How do I know if I have wasps, hornets or yellowjackets?
Paper wasps build open, umbrella-shaped combs. Yellowjackets nest in the ground or walls. Hornets build big, gray, closed nests.
Do wasp traps work?
They catch some yellowjackets, but rarely fix a nest problem. Place them away from where people sit.
Can wasps damage my house?
Rarely by much. Yellowjackets in walls can chew through drywall. Carpenter bees do more wood damage.
Are wasps dangerous to my pets?
They can be. Dogs often get stung on the face. your vet if swelling spreads or breathing changes.
How often should you check your property for wasp nests?
Every week or two from spring through late summer. Around St. George, look under eaves, decks, sheds and play equipment, where small nests are easy to deal with.
Is it safe to remove a wasp nest yourself?
Around St. George, a small, exposed nest can be treated at dusk with the right spray and protective clothing. Anyone allergic to stings should never try.
When is wasp season in St. George?
Around St.
Are hornets common in St. George?
Bald-faced hornets are, in trees and on eaves. Most stings come from yellowjackets, though.
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Sources (9)
The facts in this article come from the public sources listed above. Every home is different, so ask the company you talk to about pricing and what’s included. Published by Wasp Exterminator · Updated September 11, 2026 · How we write these guides