Silver Bullet Pest ControlAn open, honeycomb nest under the porch ceiling, wasps hanging around the front door, or a nest behind a shutter you only found when it stung you? Silver Bullet Pest Control removes paper wasp nests and other wasp and hornet nests from Madison homes and businesses, and tells you how to keep them from building back.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • 15+ years • Serving Morris County • Hablamos español
Text a photo of the nest from a safe distance to 973-510-2585 — we'll tell you what it is and how urgent it is.
Silver Bullet Pest Control removes paper wasp nests in Madison, NJ. A licensed technician confirms the insect, treats the nest wearing protective gear, takes the nest down once the activity stops, and checks the rest of the house for other nests. We also handle yellow jackets and hornets, and honey bees are relocated with a local beekeeper rather than exterminated. NJ License 90568B, 4.9 stars on Google. Call or text 973-510-2585.
Paper wasps are slender wasps with long legs that dangle when they fly. They build a single, open comb of gray paper hanging from a short stalk, so you can see the cells from below — it looks like an upside-down umbrella. Nests start the size of a quarter in spring and can reach several inches across by late summer.
They're less aggressive than yellow jackets and usually leave people alone. The trouble is where they build: right where people walk. A nest over the front door, in the corner of a porch ceiling, inside a mailbox or under a deck railing means someone is going to get close to it eventually, and paper wasps defend their nest when it's bumped or sprayed.
Madison has a lot of older houses — Victorians, colonials and other homes with deep porches, decorative trim, shutters and eaves — plus a busy downtown and a college campus. All that trim and overhang gives paper wasps exactly the sheltered, dry spots they look for.
Text us a photo if you're not sure. The insect decides how we handle it:
The usual nest on a Madison porch. Calm unless disturbed, but they sting when the nest is bumped. Removal is quick once we can reach it.
Bald-faced hornets hang football-shaped nests in trees and under eaves; yellow jackets nest in the ground or inside walls. Both sting repeatedly and need more care to remove.
Honey bees are valuable pollinators. We don't exterminate them — we work with a local beekeeper so swarms and colonies are relocated.
Timing changes how big the job is:
| Time of year | What's happening | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | A queen starts a small nest alone | Easiest time to remove it — call as soon as you see one |
| Early summer | First workers hatch; the nest grows quickly | Remove before it's busy, especially near doors |
| Late summer | Largest nest, most wasps, most stings | Don't try it yourself; have it treated and removed |
| Fall | New queens leave to find winter shelter | Queens may tuck into attics and siding; seal gaps |
| Winter | Old nest is empty and isn't reused | Knock down old nests; plan sealing for spring |
Paper wasps don't reuse an old nest, but they often build again in the same sheltered spot next year. That's why prevention matters as much as removal.
Walk away calmly — don't swat. Bring kids and pets inside and keep everyone off that door or porch.
Swelling of the face or throat, trouble breathing, or dizziness after a sting needs emergency care right away.
Store sprays and broom handles are how most stings happen. A half-sprayed nest is angrier than an untouched one.
Text a photo from a safe distance to 973-510-2585 with your address. Tell us if anyone in the house is allergic or the nest is at the only entrance — we'll get you scheduled as quickly as we can.
Real wasp emergencies are usually about location: a nest at the only door, by a child's window, at a business entrance, or on a household member with a sting allergy.
When we check a house for paper wasps, these are the spots we look at first — and the ones worth glancing at every couple of weeks in spring:
If wasps are going in and out of a gap in siding or brick rather than hanging an open comb, it's more likely yellow jackets nesting inside the wall. Don't seal that hole — it can push them indoors.
We confirm it's paper wasps and walk the house for other nests. There's often more than one.
A licensed technician treats the nest in protective gear, including nests that are high up or behind trim.
Once the activity stops, we remove the nest where it can be reached so returning wasps don't settle back on it.
We point out the spots where wasps keep building and the gaps where queens can spend the winter. We can seal openings — see entry point sealing.
Look under porch ceilings and eaves every week or two in spring. A quarter-sized nest with one queen is easy to deal with.
Caulk and screen gaps in siding, trim and soffits so new queens can't spend the winter inside your walls.
Shutters, awnings and grill covers are repeat spots. Check them each spring.
Paper wasps are less food-driven than yellow jackets, but sweet drinks and fruit outdoors still draw wasps of all kinds.
Quotes are free. These change the size of the job:
| Factor | Smaller job | Bigger job |
|---|---|---|
| Insect | Paper wasps on an open comb | Yellow jackets in a wall or a large hornet nest |
| Height | Porch ceiling or railing | Third-story eaves or a steep roofline |
| Number of nests | One nest | Several nests around the house |
| Season | Small spring nest | Large late-summer nest |
| Extra work | None | Sealing gaps or a return visit |
Call or text 973-510-2585 with a photo of the nest and where it is on the house.
Silver Bullet Pest Control is based in Garfield, and we serve Madison and other Morris County towns. Because Madison is farther from our base than our core Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson area, we schedule visits ahead. Same-day removal is sometimes possible in an urgent situation, but we can't promise it — so if the nest is at your only door or someone in the house is allergic, tell us right away.
Until we get there, keep people away from the nest and don't try to spray or knock it down. For a business, school or office in Madison with a nest at an entrance, tell us your hours and we'll plan around them. More: commercial pest control and emergency pest control.
Send a photo of the nest, tell us where it is on the house and whether anyone is allergic. We'll give you a free quote and get you on the schedule.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
They're less aggressive than yellow jackets, but they will sting to defend the nest. A nest near a door or walkway is worth removing.
We don't recommend it. Most stings happen when someone sprays or hits a nest up close, especially a large summer nest.
They don't reuse the old nest, but new queens often build in the same sheltered spot. Checking early in spring and sealing gaps helps.
It can be if the nest is at the only entrance, near children, at a business door, or someone in the house is allergic. Tell us when you call.
Sometimes. Madison is outside our core area, so we usually schedule ahead, but tell us if it's urgent and we'll try.
Yes. We treat and remove yellow jacket nests in walls and the ground and hornet nests in trees and under eaves.
We don't exterminate honey bees. We work with a local beekeeper so swarms and colonies are relocated.
Spring, when it's small and only the queen is there. By late summer the nest is at its largest.
Yes, once the activity stops we remove nests that can be reached so wasps don't settle back on them.
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.
We serve Madison and these nearby towns, with visits scheduled ahead.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
