- (301) 829-0060
- Mt. Airy, MD
- info@pestshieldinc.com
Pest Shield, Inc. (MDA #30263) has been serving New Market and Frederick County homeowners since 2011, with over 75 years of combined pest management experience across the team. Owner Troy Yowell is named in the majority of service calls and handles bee situations personally — he’ll tell you whether treatment is warranted before recommending anything. Pest Shield carries a 5.0 rating across 338+ reviews and has earned Best of Nextdoor four consecutive years (2021–2024).
How it works
Four steps. No surprises. Same answer whether it's your first call or your tenth.
You reach Troy or someone on his team directly. No call center, no dispatcher, no routing.
Same-day or next-day for most calls. Emergency stinging-insect situations and real-estate WDI deadlines get priority.
We identify the species, locate entry points, and find the source — not just the symptom.
Written recommendation, straightforward pricing, no obligation. If you don't need treatment, we'll tell you.
It matters more than most people expect. The three bee types New Market homeowners most commonly encounter — carpenter bees, bumble bees, and honey bee swarms — behave differently, nest differently, and call for different responses. Treating them all the same way wastes time and money, and in some cases, treatment isn’t the right call at all.
New Market’s mix of older wood structures, wooded lots, and proximity to agricultural land creates favorable habitat for all three. Carpenter bees in particular are drawn to the exposed, weathered wood common on older homes and outbuildings — fascia boards, deck railings, wooden fences, and porch trim are all typical targets. If you’re not sure what you’re dealing with, that’s a reasonable starting point for a call — correct identification is the first step.
60+ years of combined experience. Tell us what you’re seeing — we’ll come look, no obligation.
I received a call back from Pest Control within minutes of submitting my yellow jacket problem on MyHome Advisor. On the phone, Troy explained his eco-friendly treatment process and cost and by early afternoon the problem was solved. I could not have asked for better service and price.
Don Housley · June 2013 Read on HomeAdvisor →
We hired them to combat carpenter bees in our garage and the fascia boards of our roof. Service was excellent, prompt, and competent. Troy excelled in educating us. The bees are gone. We are very pleased and would use them again.
Susan Kulp · May 2015 Read on HomeAdvisor →
anyone in the area needs any type of pests services contact Pest Shield Inc out of Mount Airy, MD. Robert was incredible to work with when we had a carpenter bee problem that nobody else could figure out. You never find honest and caring people like this anymore and our family is so glad we did! Beyond reasonable!!
Christopher Herche · August 2020 Read on Google →
General pest & rodent control
The first thing Troy does is assess what’s actually there. For honey bee swarms especially, that assessment sometimes ends with a recommendation to wait — swarms that haven’t established a cavity nest often disperse on their own, and treating a temporary cluster isn’t necessary. That’s not a common thing to hear from a pest control company in New Market, but it’s the honest answer when it applies. For active carpenter bee galleries or an established bumble bee ground nest near a high-traffic area, treatment is typically warranted and Pest Shield can usually get there the same day.
For carpenter bees, treatment targets the active galleries and the bees returning to them — the goal is to interrupt the nesting cycle and prevent the gallery network from expanding. For bumble bee ground nests, Pest Shield’s exterior-focused approach treats the nest entrance and surrounding area without requiring interior access. For honey bee swarms that have moved into a wall void or structural cavity, Troy locates the entry point and treats accordingly. In all cases, he stays on-site to address returning bees not present at the time of treatment — a detail that matters when bees are entering a structure through a gap in siding or roofline.
Pest Shield’s bee removal comes with a seasonal warranty: if bees return to the treated area within the season, Pest Shield comes back at no additional charge. One visit resolves the majority of bee situations. Troy follows up after stinging insect work — typically a call or text the next day — to confirm the problem is resolved.
The products Pest Shield uses are EPA-approved, and eco-friendly treatment processes are available. Treatments are documented safe for homes with children and pets — if you have specific concerns about a play area, garden, or a family member with sensitivities, mention it when you call and Troy will address it directly.
Owner
Founded Pest Shield in 2011 after years as a pest management contractor on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Around 35 years in pest management. Personally handles or leads the majority of service calls.
Pest Management Specialist
Field technician handling residential and commercial service calls across Frederick, Carroll, and Montgomery counties.
Pest Management Specialist
Field technician handling residential and commercial service calls across the service area.
Our Entomologist
Consulting entomologist on species identification, conducive conditions, and treatment strategy for difficult cases.
New Market sits in eastern Frederick County along US-40 and I-70, a short drive from Pest Shield’s Mt. Airy base. The surrounding area includes New Market District and communities along MD-75 and MD-144, with Frederick to the west and the Carroll County line to the east. Same-day service from Mt. Airy to New Market is realistic — the drive is under 15 minutes in most conditions.
New Market’s wooded residential lots, older wood-frame homes, and proximity to agricultural fields create conditions that favor carpenter bee activity in particular. Exposed or weathered wood on fascia boards, deck railings, and outbuildings is common on properties with mature tree cover, and carpenter bees return to established galleries year after year. Wasps and yellow jackets are also typical in landscaped yards with mulched beds or older decking near the tree line.
Not necessarily — a cluster on a tree branch is almost certainly a honey bee swarm, and swarms are typically temporary. The colony is in transit between nesting sites and is at its most docile; it isn’t defending a home yet. Many swarms move on within 24 to 48 hours without any intervention. The situation that warrants a call is when the swarm has been in place for more than a day or two and appears to be moving into a cavity — a wall void, soffit, or hollow tree on your property. If you’re not sure what you’re looking at, call Pest Shield at (301) 829-0060 and describe what you’re seeing — Troy can help you determine whether it’s worth acting on now or waiting a day to see if it disperses.
Those are carpenter bees (Xylocopa virginica), and the damage is real — it just accumulates slowly. Each female bores a gallery several inches into the wood to lay eggs, and the same galleries are reused and extended in subsequent seasons. Woodpeckers often follow, excavating the wood further to reach the larvae. Over time, structural members can be meaningfully weakened. Treatment targets the active galleries and returning bees to interrupt the nesting cycle. Treating sooner rather than later limits how far the galleries extend and reduces the likelihood of woodpecker damage on top of the bee damage.
Yes — Pest Shield uses EPA-approved products, and eco-friendly treatment processes are available. Treatments have been documented safe for homes with children and pets across multiple customer situations, including homes with dogs and young children. If you have a specific concern — a play area near the treatment zone, a garden, or a family member with sensitivities — mention it when you call. Troy will address it directly and adjust the approach if needed.
If bees return to the treated area within the season, Pest Shield comes back at no additional charge. This is a standard part of bee removal service — Troy stands behind the work. For carpenter bees specifically, returning bees are often those that were away from the gallery at the time of treatment; the follow-up handles them. If you see renewed activity after treatment, call (301) 829-0060 and Pest Shield will schedule a return visit.
Keep people and pets away from the nest or entry point, and don’t attempt to seal the opening yourself — sealing an active nest entrance traps bees inside a wall or structure, which typically makes the situation worse. Don’t spray the area with store-bought products before the visit; it can scatter the colony without eliminating it and makes assessment harder. Note where you’re seeing the most activity and, if possible, when — morning versus afternoon activity patterns can help Troy identify the nest location faster. That’s about all the preparation needed; the inspection and treatment are handled on-site.
