I just discovered this just outside my front door. Is there any safe way to remove the nest and not have wasps be angry as we go in and out the door? ...
Knowledgebase
Paper wasp nest in home entry #928661
Asked April 17, 2026, 8:36 AM EDT
I just discovered this just outside my front door. Is there any safe way to remove the nest and not have wasps be angry as we go in and out the door? I have seen another adult in the area, in addition to the one on the nest.
Thank you,
Matthew
Montgomery CountyMaryland
Expert Response
When the nest is left alone (when the adult(s) go out to forage for nectar or prey, for example), you can pull it off the surface and toss it. The female might try to rebuild one or two times, but that degree of disturbance is likely to persuade her to relocate and try again elsewhere. For a nest this small and minimally-active (there will only be one or two adults associated with it at this early stage), there is no need for wasp spray. If you can't manage to catch the nest without a wasp on it, you could put a large cup/container over the nest, slide a piece of cardboard or something sturdy enough to stay in place and scrape the nest off as you move it to cover the container, then carry them away from the house and empty the container to let the wasp leave. Without caretakers, any young in the nest won't survive, so they won't be a problem.