Wasp nest near your door: what to do right now

A nest by the door is stressful, but you can stay safe while it gets handled. The most important step is to stop using that door and keep everyone, especially anyone allergic to stings, well away from the nest.

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Do this now

1Use a different door until the nest is removed, and tell everyone in the house.
2Keep kids and pets inside or away from that side of the house.
3From a distance, note where the nest is and roughly how big it is.
4Make sure anyone with a sting allergy has their epinephrine auto-injector handy.
5Move slowly and calmly if wasps fly near you. Walk away rather than swatting.

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Don't

Don't swat, hit or knock down the nest.
Don't spray it with a hose or try to burn it.
Don't plug the hole of a nest in the ground or a wall.
Don't try to treat a nest inside a wall yourself.

Get help immediately if

Trouble breathing, swelling of the face, lips or throat, or dizziness after a sting: use an epinephrine auto-injector if prescribed and call 911.
Many stings at once, or stings on a small child or older adult: get medical care right away.
Wasps are coming inside the house through a wall or ceiling: keep the room closed and get same-day professional help.

What kind of nest is it

In Michigan, most nests near doors belong to paper wasps, yellowjackets or bald-faced hornets. Paper wasps build open, umbrella-shaped combs under eaves and door frames. Yellowjackets often nest in the ground or inside walls. Bald-faced hornets build large, gray, football-shaped paper nests in trees, shrubs or under overhangs, and they defend them hard. Learn more on our wasps and hornets page.

If the insects are fuzzy and look like honeybees, especially a cluster hanging from a branch, it may be a honey bee swarm. A local beekeeper may be able to collect it. Nests grow through summer and colonies are largest in late summer and early fall, which is when stings near doors become most common.

Why pros handle nests near entrances

A small paper wasp nest with a few wasps is sometimes treated by homeowners, but a nest by a busy door is different. Yellowjackets and hornets can sting many times and will defend the nest as a group. Nests inside walls are a special risk, because blocking or spraying the hole can drive wasps into the house.

A licensed pro has protective gear, the right products, and the experience to treat the nest and remove it safely, often in the evening when wasps are less active. If anyone in your home has a sting allergy, it is worth having a pro handle every nest near the house.

What it costs

$125 to $400per nest

Price depends on the nest type, size, height and whether it is inside a wall. After-hours or same-day emergency visits often cost more. These are typical ranges, not quotes.

Typical ranges, not quotes. More on wasps and hornets and the Michigan cost guide.

Common questions

Should I spray the nest myself?

For a small, open paper wasp nest you can reach safely, some people do, at dusk, following the label. For yellowjacket nests in walls or the ground, hornet nests, or anyone with a sting allergy in the house, leave it to a pro. Wall nests in particular can push wasps indoors.

What should I do if I get stung?

Move away from the nest first. Wash the sting with soap and water and use a cold pack for swelling. Watch for trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat. If those happen, use an epinephrine auto-injector if you have one and call 911.

Will the nest die off on its own?

Most Michigan wasp and hornet colonies die off after hard freezes in fall, and old nests are generally not reused. But that can be weeks away, and colonies are biggest late in the season.