Which insect is it, and who reaches it
Photograph the nest from a distance before you call anyone. Note whether it hangs in the open, sits in a wall or is in the ground, and write down where the insects come and go.
Austin Public Health says the city encourages relocation of bees over eradication. Its statement is that, due to state regulations, it cannot remove, relocate or exterminate bees and does not maintain a list of providers.
What wasp and bee removal costs in Texas
Our estimate for a wasp or bee job in Texas is $95 to $1,025 per job, and it's wide because the national sources disagree widely. The range is adjusted by Texas's pest control wage ratio of 0.89, and it's an estimate, not a quote.
It rests on national figures only. Ask where the nest is, whether the price covers a ladder or wall opening, and whether a bee colony is relocated or destroyed.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $95 to $1,025 per job | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Texas pest control worker wage ratio (0.89). Four Texas pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. Basis: no state company sample (no counted Texas company price for this job), national estimate only. |
| Pest control worker wage, Texas mean | $19.90 an hour | Texas mean hourly pay for the occupation (BLS, May 2025), a labor figure and no part of a nest price. |
| State fee, business license, each location | $300 to license, $300 to renew | A state fee the business pays TDA per location, on the schedule dated January 1, 2016. |
| State fee, certified applicator license | $125 to license, $125 to renew | A personal license fee paid to TDA; category exams cost $64 each. |
Estimated range. Built from national published ranges (1 source), adjusted by Texas's pest control worker wage ratio to the US (0.89, BLS May 2025), with no permit fee added because pest control has no city permit. Not a quote. Four Texas pest control companies publish a price we could count on their own websites; where five or more price the same job, the range is the middle half of their prices, and where two to four do, the estimate is widened to take them in. Coupons, specials and figures a page gives as an average are not counted. We have no counted Texas company price for this job, so the range is our national estimate alone. Full method. Prices as of Oct 23, 2026.
What the license covers
TDA defines structural pest control to include, for compensation, identifying infestations, inspecting, giving recommendations, submitting estimates or bids, contracting and performing the service. A company that treats a nest with pesticide for pay needs a TDA business license, $300 for each location. TDA's Pest control category covers insects and pest animals such as roaches, silverfish, ants, flies, mosquitoes, rats and mice, so ask the company which category it holds for the job and what it will apply.
A person treating property the person owns or leases as a dwelling is exempt under Occupations Code 1951.052. Section 1951.055 covers an owner's use of retail household products in an area the owner occupies, per the label (both from a 2018 copy of the statute). Employees an owner supplies at apartment buildings, hotels and schools need a noncommercial license.
Stings and allergic reactions
An allergic reaction in progress after a sting is a 911 call. For questions after any pesticide application, the National Pesticide Information Center answers at 1-800-858-7378 and the Texas Poison Center at 1-800-764-7661. Fire ants are a separate case, since AgriLife says about 1 percent of people are hypersensitive to their venom, and the ants and roaches page covers them.
Do wasps or bees need a same-day call?
- An allergic reaction in progress after a sting: call 911.
- Illness after a pesticide was applied for the nest goes to the Texas Poison Center, 1-800-764-7661.
- A nest you can avoid, which you can photograph from a distance and show to companies for written estimates.
Steps before you call
- Photograph the nest from a distance.
- Note where the insects enter and leave.
- Write down whether anyone in the house has reacted to stings.
- Ask the company which category it holds and what it will apply.
- For bees, ask whether the company relocates or destroys the colony.
License rules for nest treatment
Treating a nest with pesticide for pay is structural pest control under a TDA business license. Ask the company which category it holds and whether it will use a pesticide at all.
Ask for the company's TDA business license number and the applicator's name, and check both with TDA's Structural Pest Control Service before any work starts.
Questions people ask
Will my city remove a wasp nest or bee colony in Texas?
Austin Public Health says it cannot remove, relocate or exterminate bees due to state regulations. It encourages relocation over eradication and keeps no list of providers.
Does a company treating a wasp nest need a Texas license?
Yes, when it treats a nest with pesticide for pay: a TDA structural business license. TDA's Pest control category covers insects such as roaches, ants and flies, so ask which category the company holds.
Can I remove a wasp nest myself in Texas?
An owner may treat the dwelling the owner lives in, and may use retail household products in an area the owner occupies, per the label. Occupations Code 1951.052 and 1951.055 set that out, from a 2018 copy of the statute.
What do I do about an allergic reaction to a sting?
Call 911. The National Pesticide Information Center, 1-800-858-7378, handles pesticide questions.
What does wasp or bee removal cost in Texas?
$95 to $1,025 per job in our model, a wide estimate and not a quote. The band is wide because the national sources disagree. Ask where the nest is.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), Texas, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025: Pest Control Workers (SOC 37-2021), United States, mean hourly wage Read Oct 23, 2026.
- PestControlMatch: how we estimate costs, Texas (editorial policy) Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: SPCS Fees Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: Structural Pest Control Business Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Austin Public Health: Environmental Vector Control Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: Structural Pest Control Consumer Information; Structural Pest Control Licensing Read Oct 23, 2026.
- TDA: Structural Pest Control Licensing Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Texas Occupations Code §1951.052: Dwelling-owner exception Read Oct 28, 2026.
- TDA: SPCS Complaint Process; Complaint Resolution Procedures; Termite FAQs Read Oct 23, 2026.
- Texas A&M AgriLife: Fire Ant FAQ; fireant.tamu.edu home Read Oct 23, 2026.