Stinging pest
Wasps & Hornets Control in Elgin, Illinois
Nest location decides urgency.
What they look like
Paper wasps have long dangling legs and build open umbrella-shaped combs. Bald-faced hornets build large gray enclosed nests. Yellowjackets are stocky, boldly marked, and often nest in the ground or in wall voids.
Signs of an infestation
- Repeated traffic to one point on the eave, soffit or siding
- Visible comb under a deck rail, grill lid or porch ceiling
- Ground activity in a lawn or landscape bed
- Aggressive insects around trash cans or food outdoors in late summer
Where they're found
Eaves, soffits, porch ceilings, deck rails, sheds, shrubs, wall voids and ground burrows.
Why they show up
Structures offer protected nest sites. Late-summer colonies are at maximum size and their food preferences shift toward sugars, which is when they show up around trash and outdoor eating.
Seasonality in Illinois
Colonies build from late spring, peak in August and September, and die back after hard frost.
Prevention tips
- Check eaves, grills and playsets early in spring when nests are small
- Keep trash containers closed and rinsed
- Seal openings in soffits, siding and utility penetrations
- Cover outdoor food and drinks in late summer
When to call a professional
Do not knock down a nest near a doorway, in a wall void or in the ground, and never seal a wall-void nest shut. Stinging insects defend aggressively and stings can be dangerous for allergic individuals — call for professional removal.
How ProGuard treats wasps & hornets
ProGuard locates the nest, treats and removes it where it can be done safely, and addresses the structural openings that made the site attractive.