Stinging Insect Control
Wasp & Bee Removal in Foster City, CA
101 Exterminators handles wasp and bee removal in Foster City for homes, townhome complexes, and commercial properties, California licensed under SPCB Lic. #9119. With no natural hillsides in this city, western yellowjackets nest in what was built instead — lagoon riprap, irrigation boxes, and voids under deck framing. We find the nest before we treat it.
Home maintenance
How do you keep yellowjackets away from a Foster City home?
Cover food outdoors, close the cavities they nest in, and leave honey bee swarms to a beekeeper. With no hillsides in Foster City, yellowjackets nest in riprap along the lagoon and levee, in irrigation boxes and in wall voids of townhomes. Colonies grow all summer and reach their largest size in late summer, when picnics on the lagoon parks draw them in.
Cover food and trash outside
Keep lids on garbage and recycling, clean up after meals on decks and in the lagoon parks, and feed pets indoors. Late-summer yellowjackets scavenge meat and sweet drinks.
Close irrigation box lids
Cracked or missing valve box lids give yellowjackets a ready cavity. Replace damaged lids in spring before queens choose nest sites, and check boxes for flying traffic before opening them.
Seal gaps in siding and eaves
Yellowjackets and paper wasps enter wall voids through gaps in siding, trim and vents. Caulk cracks and replace damaged vent screens in winter, when no colony is active.
Leave nests alone
Don’t plug, spray or dig out an active nest. Mark the area, keep children and pets away, and have a professional remove it.
Call a beekeeper for honey bee swarms
A cluster of honey bees on a branch or fence in spring is a swarm resting while scouts look for a home. Leave it alone and contact a beekeeping group to collect it.
When to do it
Seal gaps in winter, fix irrigation box lids in spring, and keep food covered from August through October.
Maintenance guidance: San Mateo County Mosquito and Vector Control District, Yellowjackets
Warning Signs
When to Ask About Wasp & Bee Removal in Foster City
We treat yellow jacket nests (including in-ground and wall-void nests), paper wasp nests under eaves and overhangs, European and bald-faced hornet nests, and mud dauber tubes. For honey bee hives established in walls or structures, we provide complete treatment and nest removal including comb excavation to prevent future odor and secondary pest attraction. For accessible swarms, we can arrange transfer to a local beekeeper.
Visible nest under eaves, in shrubs, attached to window frames, in tree cavities, or in attic vents
Repeated wasp activity near a specific location on the structure — nest is likely nearby
Wasp or bee activity around a specific gap, crack, or vent opening — indicates cavity nest inside
In-ground yellow jacket activity — small hole in soil or mulch bed with wasps entering and exiting
Honey bee swarm visible on a tree, shrub, or structure — usually a temporary cluster
Buzzing sounds within walls, soffits, or chimney area — established honey bee hive
How It Works
What to Expect from Wasp & Bee Removal in Foster City
Tell us where the nest or activity is and whether people need to pass close to it. Avoid disturbing the nest while we discuss the next step.
Species & Nest Location
We identify the species and locate all nesting sites, including in-wall or structural voids that require special access. Species determines the treatment approach.
Treatment in Protective Equipment
Our technicians treat nests in full protective equipment — veil, suit, and gloves. Evening treatment is preferred for ground nests when foragers have returned to the nest.
Nest Removal
After treatment, accessible nests are physically removed. For wall-void nests, we advise on comb removal to prevent secondary pest attraction from wax, honey, and larval material.
Entry Point Sealing
We seal entry points used by cavity-nesting species to prevent re-colonization by a new colony in the same location.
Why 101 Exterminators
Why Choose 101 Exterminators for Wasp & Bee Removal in Foster City
Bee Relocation Option
When possible, we work with local beekeepers to relocate honey bee swarms and accessible hives rather than exterminating them. Good for bees, good for local agriculture.
Wall-Void Nest Removal
Nests inside walls require more than just treatment — the comb must be removed to prevent honey seepage, secondary pests, and odor. We handle the complete remediation.
Urgent Situations Come First
A wasp nest near an entry door, child's play area, or pet run is a safety emergency. We move these ahead of routine work.
Evening Ground Nest Treatment
Yellow jacket ground nests are treated at dusk when the full colony has returned, maximizing effectiveness and minimizing any risk of disrupted forager activity.
Common Questions
Wasp & Bee Removal FAQs for Foster City
Where do yellowjackets nest in Foster City when the whole city is flat?
In the voids the built environment supplies. Western yellowjackets (Vespula pensylvanica) use rock riprap along the lagoon banks and levee, abandoned rodent burrows in irrigated park and lawn turf, irrigation valve boxes, wall voids, and the space beneath raised deck and dock framing. Activity peaks from August into October as colonies reach full size. Finding the actual entry hole matters more than counting the wasps you see, so we watch the flight line first.
There are bees in the wall of our Foster City townhome — can they be relocated?
A swarm that has just landed and not yet built comb can often be transferred to a local beekeeper. Once a colony is established inside a wall, relocation stops being realistic and the comb has to be opened up and removed. Leaving wax and honey in a stucco wall draws ants, cockroaches, and beetles, and it eventually bleeds through drywall. We treat, remove comb where access allows, and seal the cavity behind it.
Are wasps worse around the Foster City lagoon and parks in late summer?
Late summer is the peak — August into October, when colonies reach maximum population and workers forage aggressively for protein and sugar. That overlaps with the busiest stretch at Leo J. Ryan Memorial Park, Sea Cloud Park, and the lagoon-side patios. Keeping food covered, lids on trash containers, and sweet drinks in closed cups cuts encounters sharply. For a nest on your own property, note the flight line and leave it undisturbed until it is treated.
Local Pest Pressure
Common Pests We Treat in Foster City
Every area has its own pest profile shaped by climate, housing, and geography. These are the pests we see and treat most often in Foster City — tap any one to learn how to identify it and what treatment involves.
Wasp & Bee Removal · Foster City
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