- (301) 829-0060
- Mt. Airy, MD
- info@pestshieldinc.com
Pest Shield has been removing hornet nests from Frederick County homes since 2011, with same-day and next-day response across the city and surrounding towns. Troy Yowell leads stinging insect work personally and has been named in the majority of hornet and yellow jacket reviews in our 338+ five-star review history. Our licensing (MDA #30263, MD Cert #19058) covers every pesticide category required for stinging insect treatment in Maryland, and Jeffrey Allwine — our on-staff entomologist — supports species-level identification when a nest’s location or appearance leaves any doubt. Best of Frederick MD Pest Control (2021) and Best of Nextdoor four years running (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.
Most Frederick homeowners call us after spotting one of two things: a large gray, papery football-shaped nest hanging from a tree, shrub, or eave — or steady hornet traffic entering a small gap in the soffit, siding, or chimney. Both are signs of an established colony, and both are worth handling sooner rather than later.
Two species account for nearly all the hornet work we do in Frederick County:
Hornet colonies grow through summer and hit their peak size in late summer and early fall. From July through October, worker populations are highest, workers are more defensive of the nest, and stings near entry points become more likely. That timing is why our hornet call volume concentrates in this window every year.
Frederick’s housing and landscape create favorable nesting conditions. Older in-town homes have aging wood soffits, fascia gaps, and chimney mortar joints that give European hornets easy access to wall voids and attic cavities. Newer suburban and semi-rural properties around Urbana, New Market, and Middletown tend to sit on wooded lots where tree canopy, shrub lines, and outbuildings offer plenty of aerial nesting sites for bald-faced hornets. A nest you can see is usually easier to deal with than one you only hear — but both need to be located before they can be treated correctly.
60+ years of combined experience. Tell us what you’re seeing — we’ll come look, no obligation.
I emailed with a bald faced hornet issue. Troy called very quickly and we scheduled the next day. I didn’t have to be there. He came out and took care of the nest, stayed briefly to take care of any residual bees that were not in the nest at the time, and then called me the next day to make sure there were no issues. I have not seen any bees since he did the service. I will definitely use his services again if I ever have anymore pest issues.
Kathryn Wilson · June 2018 Read on HomeAdvisor →
I called Pest Shield when we needed something done right away. We have a hornets nest and a wasp nest in bad places, three days before having a large gathering. Troy had a busy schedule, but agreed to come after 5:00 that evening. He got here shortly after 5:00, was friendly, thorough and professional, and took care of the nests (and two more we found). He explained everything, showed me what he could, and left excellent and detailed information. I’d hire him again any time we need that sort of service, and would definitely recommend Pest Shield.
Kai Hagen · July 2017 Read on HomeAdvisor →
Rob came to our house to take care of a European Hornet nest in our chimney. He explained what he was going to do, and took care of the problem quickly. We will surely use Pest Shield the next time we have a problem.
David Boteler · September 2023 Read on Google →
General pest & rodent control
Hornet work is one of our most heavily reviewed service categories, and the process is straightforward by design. Call (301) 829-0060, and you’ll either reach Troy directly or get a callback within minutes. Troy assesses the situation over the phone — species, nest location if known, how aggressive the activity is, whether anyone in the household has a sting allergy — and schedules accordingly. Same-day service is standard for active hornet situations; next-day is typical when there’s no immediate sting risk. Sunday and after-hours response are documented across our review history at no extra charge.
Here’s what the visit looks like:
This is a single-visit service. You don’t need to be home for treatment in most cases — Troy can work the exterior and report results by phone. The work is backed by a seasonal warranty: if hornets return to the same treated area during the active season, we come back at no charge.
On safety: the products we use are EPA-approved and applied directly to the nest rather than broadcast around your property. We advise keeping pets and children away from the immediate treated area for the brief window Troy specifies on-site — usually a few hours — and that’s the extent of the precaution required. For homes with children, pets, or family members with sting allergies, Troy adjusts timing and approach to minimize any risk during the visit itself.
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.
Pest Shield, Inc. serves all of Frederick County from our Mt. Airy office — Frederick city neighborhoods, Urbana, New Market, Middletown, Walkersville, Myersville, Thurmont, Emmitsburg, Brunswick, and Woodsboro. The mix of older in-town housing stock with original wood soffits and aging chimney mortar, alongside newer suburban and semi-rural development on wooded lots, gives us a working familiarity with the structural and landscape conditions hornets exploit here.
Hornet pressure runs higher in Frederick than in more open areas of the region. Wooded lots, mature tree canopy, and properties that back up to agricultural fields and tree lines east and west of the city all support larger bald-faced and European hornet populations. Older homes with gaps in eaves, fascia, and chimney work give European hornets concealed nesting cavities. Late summer through early fall is when these factors converge — and when most Frederick hornet calls come in. For broader pest control in Frederick, our team handles the full range of seasonal pest pressure across the county.
Same day in most cases, next day at the latest. Active hornet situations are prioritized — particularly when nests are near doors, walkways, or households with sting allergies. Call (301) 829-0060 and you’ll reach Troy or get a callback within minutes. Sunday and after-hours response are documented across our review history at no extra charge.
Yes. Hornet removal is a single-visit service. The nest gets treated directly, Troy stays briefly to handle workers that were out foraging when he arrived, and the treated entry points continue working on returners over the next several hours. We follow up by phone or text the next day to confirm activity has stopped. If anything persists, we come back under the seasonal warranty at no charge.
In most cases, no. If the nest is accessible from the exterior — under an eave, on a soffit, in a tree, or at a wall void entry point — Troy can treat it without you being on-site and confirm results by phone afterward. For interior wall void or attic situations, we coordinate timing with you directly. Just let us know your situation when you call.
Yes, when applied correctly. We use EPA-approved products applied directly to the nest and entry points rather than broadcast across your property. The short-term precaution is to keep kids and pets out of the immediate treated area for a few hours — Troy will tell you the exact window on-site. After that, no ongoing precautions are needed. For homes with allergies or specific concerns, Troy adjusts timing and approach during the visit.
It matters because the nest location and treatment approach differ. Bald-faced hornets and yellow jackets are actually close relatives — bald-faced hornets build aerial paper nests, while yellow jackets typically nest in the ground or inside wall voids. European hornets are a separate, larger species that nest in wall voids, attics, and tree hollows and stay active at night. Paper wasps build small open-comb nests under eaves and overhangs. Troy identifies the species on arrival and treats accordingly — and if a sample needs lab confirmation, Jeffrey Allwine, our on-staff entomologist, handles species-level identification.
