Wasp, yellow jacket and hornet control in Clarksville, Tennessee

How to recognise what you have

UT Extension notes that many kinds build paper and mud nests around homes, in the ground or in shrubs.

• Paper wasps build open, umbrella-shaped combs under eaves, porch ceilings and in sheds.
• Yellow jackets often nest in the ground or in a wall. You see a steady stream going in and out of one hole.
• Hornets build large, rounded gray paper nests that hang from trees, shrubs or eaves.
• Mud daubers leave small mud tubes on walls and are rarely a bother.

Why they show up here

Porches, sheds, barns and outbuildings around Clarksville all offer sheltered spots. Colonies grow through the warm months, so a nest you could barely see in June can be a real problem by late summer, when yellow jackets also get more interested in food and trash.

What a visit usually involves

1. Finding the nest

   Tell the company what you've seen. A nest in a wall may need more investigation than one on a porch.

2. Treating it

   Treatment usually targets the nest opening. The company will tell you what to keep clear and for how long.

3. Removing or sealing

   Ask whether the nest is taken down afterward and whether the opening in a wall gets sealed.

When to call

Call if the nest is near a door or walkway, high up, inside a wall, or in the ground where people mow or play. Call right away if anyone in the house is allergic to stings. Anyone having a serious reaction to a sting should call 911.

Not sure what's flying in and out? Read what this number doesn't cover before you call.

Wasp questions