Silver Bullet Pest ControlStraight answers from Silver Bullet Pest Control, a licensed exterminator based in Garfield, NJ, serving Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties. Call or text 973-510-2585. Hablamos español.
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Text a photo of what you're seeing and we'll tell you what it is and what to do.
In winter, yellow jacket colonies die off. Workers and males die with the first hard frosts, and only newly mated queens survive by hiding in protected spots: under bark, in leaf litter, in woodpiles, wall voids, attics and sheds. In spring, each surviving queen starts a brand-new nest. Old nests aren't reused. Silver Bullet Pest Control: 973-510-2585.
| Season | What happens |
|---|---|
| Spring | Queens come out and start small new nests |
| Early summer | First workers hatch; nest grows |
| Late summer | Colony at its largest, thousands of workers |
| Fall | New queens and males produced; workers become aggressive scavengers |
| Winter | Colony dies; only mated queens survive hidden |
No. Yellow jackets don't reuse old nests. A nest you found in a wall or the ground last fall will be empty by winter. A nest in the same spot next year is a new queen choosing the same kind of spot, which is why sealing the gap or hole matters.
The three situations behind most of these calls in North Jersey:
A nest where people walk is a real sting risk. Bee and wasp service comes as a one-time service or with a 30, 60 or 90-day warranty depending on the species.
Small nests grow fast through the summer. Treating early keeps doorways and decks usable.
Carpenter bees drill into unpainted wood and come back every year. Treatment plus sealing and painting the wood stops the cycle.
On warm winter days, a queen sheltering in a wall void or attic can wander into the living space. She's sluggish and rarely stings. One or two isn't a nest. Seal gaps around windows, siding and attic vents in fall to keep queens from overwintering in the house.
Fall and early winter are good times to seal the gap where a wall nest was, once it's inactive. In spring, check eaves, decks, sheds and the yard for small new nests; they're easiest to deal with early. Bee and wasp service is offered as a one-time service or with a 30, 60 or 90-day warranty depending on the species, with re-treatment inside the warranty window. See bee and wasp removal and yellow jacket ground nests.
Walk around the eaves, deck and shed every couple of weeks in spring, when nests are small.
Yellow jackets go after sweet drinks and meat at cookouts. Keep lids on.
Open trash and recycling draw yellow jackets in late summer.
Painted or stained wood keeps carpenter bees from drilling in.
Tell us what you're seeing and where. A photo often lets us identify the pest right away. We answer 24/7 for emergencies.
A licensed tech finds the source: where the pest lives, how it gets in and what draws it.
We use the right method for the pest, placed where it works and kept away from kids and pets.
We close entry points and tell you what to change so the problem doesn't come back.
Call or text 973-510-2585 for the fastest answer, or tell us what's going on and we'll get back to you quickly.
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The workers do. Only new queens survive.
Under bark, in leaf litter, woodpiles, wall voids, attics and sheds.
No. Each spring a queen builds a new one.
Likely a queen that was sheltering in a wall or attic.
Once it's inactive, usually after hard frosts.
Queens come out in spring and start new nests.
Move away from the nest and get help. Anyone with trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat needs 911.
Honey bee swarms often move on in a day or two. Established colonies in walls need a different approach; call and we'll advise.
Yes. Yellow jackets and some wasps nest in wall voids and can chew through drywall into the house.
Call 973-510-2585. We answer 24/7 and can send a tech at any hour for an urgent nest.
Yes. We treat the holes and advise on sealing and painting the wood so they don't return.
Remove a bee stinger by scraping it out, wash the area and use a cold pack. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat.
Yellow jackets nesting in a wall can chew through drywall into the living space. Don't plug the outside hole.
Nests start small in spring and are largest and most aggressive in late summer and fall.
Old nests aren't reused, but new queens often pick similar sheltered spots.
It depends on the species, the nest location and how hard it is to reach. Call or text 973-510-2585 for a quote.
One-time service or 30, 60 or 90-day warranties by species.
Based in Garfield, we serve these towns and the rest of Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
