Silver Bullet Pest ControlRan the mower over a hole and got chased across the yard? Yellow jackets streaming out of the siding, or swarming the trash cans at every cookout? Silver Bullet Pest Control finds and treats yellow jacket nests in the ground, in walls and in trees at Scotch Plains homes, and takes care of paper wasps and hornets while we're there.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • 15+ years • Serving Union County by appointment • Hablamos español
Text a photo of the nest or the hole to 973-510-2585 — from a safe distance.
Silver Bullet Pest Control removes yellow jacket nests in Scotch Plains — in the lawn, inside walls and in trees and shrubs — by treating the nest itself rather than the insects flying around it. We serve Scotch Plains from our Garfield base, so visits are scheduled ahead, and a same-day visit is sometimes possible for nests by doors, play areas or anyone allergic. NJ License 90568B, 4.9 stars on Google. Call or text 973-510-2585.
Don't stop to swat. Yellow jackets follow and sting repeatedly. Get inside or at least 50 feet away. Jumping in a pool doesn't help — they wait for you.
Yellow jackets don't leave stingers, but they can sting several times. Swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing or dizziness is an emergency — call 911.
Note where the insects are going in and out — a hole in the lawn, a gap by the steps, a crack in the siding. Put the mower and toys away later, not now.
Keep kids and pets off that part of the yard. Text a photo to 973-510-2585 and tell us if anyone is allergic.
Yellow jackets nest in three kinds of places, and paper wasps are often mixed in:
Most yellow jackets nest out of sight, in old rodent burrows in the ground or in hollow spaces in walls. The nest can hold thousands of insects by late summer. Never plug the hole or pour anything into it.
Bald-faced hornets are actually a kind of yellow jacket that builds above ground. They defend the nest hard, so don't trim hedges or prune trees near one.
Paper wasps look a bit like yellow jackets but build open nests and are usually less aggressive. We handle them on the same visit.
Scotch Plains is a suburban township with big yards, lots of trees, and the Watchung Reservation along its northern edge. Plenty of homes back onto woods or have stone walls, rock gardens and established landscaping. That's ideal yellow jacket country.
Ground nests are easy to miss until someone steps near one. If you have kids or dogs who use the yard, walk the lawn edges and stone walls in early summer and watch for steady insect traffic.
A yellow jacket nest lasts one season. Its size — and its temper — changes month by month:
| Time of year | What the nest is doing | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | One queen starts a small nest | Few insects; easiest time to treat |
| Early summer | First workers hatch; nest grows | Traffic at the hole becomes noticeable |
| Mid to late summer | Nest can hold thousands of workers | Mowing, gardening and kids at play disturb it |
| Late summer into fall | Workers hunt sweets and protein; colony at its peak | Most aggressive; swarm drinks, fruit and trash |
| After hard frosts | Workers die; new queens leave to overwinter | Nest isn't reused; seal gaps before spring |
Late summer and early fall are when most stings happen at Scotch Plains cookouts, soccer fields and pools.
We watch the traffic to find the real nest opening. Wall nests and ground nests sometimes have more than one.
Yellow jackets, hornets, paper wasps or bees each get a different approach.
A licensed technician in protective gear treats into the nest, where the colony is, not just the insects outside.
Hornet nests and paper wasp combs we can reach are taken down after activity stops. Nests in walls and the ground are left in place once treated.
We point out openings in siding, soffits and steps and can seal them so a new queen doesn't move in next spring.
Insects still coming and going for a day or so after treatment is normal — workers returning from the yard contact the treatment at the entrance.
Use cups with lids or straws. Yellow jackets crawl into open cans and sting when you take a sip.
Keep lids on outdoor cans and recycling, rinse soda cans, and move bins away from doors and patios.
Rotting apples, pears and grapes draw yellow jackets in late summer.
Pet food and grill scraps outdoors attract them looking for protein.
These steps reduce visitors, but they don't remove a nest. If there's steady traffic to one spot, there's a nest to treat.
Plenty of insects nest in the ground. In spring you may see many small solitary bees making little mounds in bare soil; they rarely sting and are usually gone in a few weeks. Bumble bees sometimes nest in old burrows or under a deck. Honey bees are fuzzy and golden-brown and may cluster in a swarm on a branch.
Yellow jackets are smooth, shiny and bright yellow and black, and they fly fast in and out of a single hole. If you're not sure, text us a photo. Honey bees are never treated like a wasp nest: we work with a local beekeeper so swarms and colonies are relocated. Read more about ground bees.
Quotes are free. These are what change the job:
| Factor | Simpler | More involved |
|---|---|---|
| Nest location | In the open lawn | Inside a wall, under a patio or steps |
| Number of nests | One | Several around the yard and house |
| Height | Ground level | Second-story soffit or a tall tree |
| Season | Early summer | Late summer peak |
| Extra work | None | Sealing entry gaps or a return visit |
Call or text 973-510-2585 with a photo and where the nest is.
Tell us where the nest is — lawn, wall, steps or tree — and whether anyone at home is allergic. We'll give you an honest time for the visit.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
We serve Scotch Plains from our Garfield base, so visits are scheduled ahead. A same-day visit is sometimes possible, and nests near doors, play areas or anyone allergic get priority.
No. Gasoline is a fire and contamination hazard, and boiling water rarely reaches the whole nest. Both usually end with stings.
No. Blocked yellow jackets dig a new exit, and in a wall they can come out inside the house.
The colony is at its largest and the workers are hunting for sugar, so they swarm food and drinks and defend the nest hard.
Yes, after hard frosts, but that can be months away and the nest is at its most dangerous in late summer.
No. New queens start fresh nests each spring, often in a similar sheltered spot.
Yes, they're a kind of yellow jacket that builds a gray paper nest above ground. Treat them with the same caution.
We don't exterminate honey bees. We work with a local beekeeper so they're relocated.
We explain where and how we treat and any precautions before we start.
Yes. Silver Bullet Pest Control holds NJ License 90568B and has over 15 years of experience.
Sí. Hablamos español. Mande una foto del nido al 973-510-2585.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
