Trusted extermination services to keep your home, business, and customers pest-free
Why New York Exterminating
We’re built to solve your pest problem, not to lock you into a monthly contract. We don’t require monthly spray contracts or forced annual agreements, the same technician handles your property on every visit, and we never blame your housekeeping. Every job is ACE-led (Jorge Bedoya, Associate Certified Entomologist, NYSDEC #15140), bilingual in English and Spanish, and we serve all five boroughs plus Nassau and Westchester — with a callback rate under 1%.
A two-inch wasp dive-bombing you over the lawn is alarming — but the cicada killer is one of the most misunderstood insects in New York, and the right response is very different from how you would handle a yellowjacket nest. New York Exterminating identifies the wasp correctly, treats the nesting area, and corrects the soil conditions drawing them in. The work is led by an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) trained on stinging insects and licensed in structural pest control, so you get an accurate read — not a panic spray.
Real New York Exterminating jobs
Photos from real NYE service calls across NYC.
Getting the ID right changes everything, because these insects could not be more different in risk. The cicada killer is huge — up to two inches — with a rusty-red thorax and pale bands, and it flies solo, low over bare soil and lawns, in mid-summer. It looks terrifying but the patrolling males cannot sting at all, and the females are solitary and essentially non-aggressive. A yellowjacket is far smaller, bright yellow, social, and genuinely aggressive in groups around food and trash — that is the one that stings repeatedly. The northern giant hornet (“murder hornet”) is not established in the New York area, so a giant lone wasp over your July lawn is almost always a harmless cicada killer. We confirm it before recommending anything, and we treat genuine yellowjacket and hornet nests too.
Giant wasps digging up your lawn? We clear cicada killers fast.
Burrow treatment across all five boroughs. Dependable. Free estimate.
They want bare, sunny, well-drained soil, and the outer-borough and metro landscape offers plenty: thin lawns, sandy patches, garden and bed edges, gaps along sidewalks, patios, and retaining walls, and sun-baked slopes with sparse grass. Because each female digs her own burrow, a single good patch can hold dozens of individual nests that look like a swarm but are really many solitary wasps. Their season is short and tied to annual cicada emergence — roughly July into August — which is exactly when we treat.
1. Identify. We confirm cicada killer (versus yellowjacket, hornet, or other wasps) so the response fits the actual risk.
2. Treat the burrows. We treat the individual nest burrows and nesting area directly — far more effective than spraying flying adults.
3. Correct the soil conditions. We identify the bare, dry patches drawing them and recommend turf and landscape fixes that discourage next year’s females.
4. Monitor. We confirm activity has dropped and advise on the short seasonal window for any follow-up.
Related services: Wasp & Stinging Insect Control, Carpenter Bee Control, and Pest Identification.
Yes — we identify the wasp, assess the nesting area, and quote before any treatment.
Often yes — email a clear photo and we can usually confirm cicada killer versus a wasp that needs a different, more urgent response.
Both — residential lawns, gardens, and commercial grounds across the five boroughs and metro.
No — despite being one of the largest wasps you will ever see (up to two inches), cicada killers are remarkably docile. The males that patrol and dive-bomb you cannot sting at all; they have no stinger. The females can sting but are solitary, non-defensive, and almost never do unless physically grabbed. They are far less aggressive than the social yellowjackets and hornets people fear.
Size, color, and behavior. Cicada killers are huge, with a rusty-red thorax and pale-yellow bands on a dark abdomen, and they fly solo low over bare soil and lawns in mid to late summer. Yellowjackets are much smaller, bright yellow, and aggressive in groups around trash and food. The so-called “murder hornet” (northern giant hornet) is not established in the New York area. If a giant lone wasp is hovering over your lawn in July, it is almost certainly a harmless cicada killer.
Because the conditions are right: cicada killers nest in bare, well-drained, sunny soil, and they are drawn to thin lawns, sandy patches, garden edges, sidewalk and patio gaps, and slopes with sparse grass. Each female digs her own burrow, so a good nesting spot can host dozens of individual burrows that look like a colony but are really many solitary nests.
They can. The females excavate burrows and push out mounds of soil, which over a heavy-nesting season can disturb turf, loosen soil around walkways and patios, and leave the lawn pocked with holes and dirt piles. The damage is cosmetic rather than structural, but in a prized lawn or a commercial property it is a real nuisance worth correcting.
We treat the individual burrows and the nesting area directly, which is far more effective than spraying the air at flying adults. Because the problem is tied to bare, dry soil, lasting control also means addressing the conditions — thickening the turf and reducing the bare patches that invite next year’s females back to the same spot.
Mid-summer, roughly July into August, timed to the emergence of the annual cicadas they hunt. They appear suddenly, are intensely active for several weeks, and then fade as the season ends. Because their window is short and tied to the soil, treating the nesting area during the active period is the right time to break the cycle.
New York Exterminating, Inc.
1115 E 13th St, Brooklyn, NY 11230
ACE-Certified · Licensed in Structural & Food-Establishment Pest Control · Serving all five boroughs
Every job is led by an Associate Certified Entomologist. Meet Jorge Bedoya, ACE — the NYC Exterminator »
New York Exterminating is Brooklyn-based and covers the whole city — the same Associate Certified Entomologist–led service in every borough:
Brooklyn · Manhattan · Queens · The Bronx · Staten Island · Yonkers · White Plains · Nassau County
No. We don’t lock you into monthly spray contracts or forced annual agreements.
Yes. The same technician services your property on every visit, so the plan and history stay consistent.
We serve all five boroughs plus Nassau and Westchester, in English and Spanish, from our Midwood, Brooklyn base.
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See how homeowners and businesses rate our pest control services across New York.
Our expertise goes beyond simple extermination. Backed by certified specialists and proven methods, we combine science, precision, and care to deliver pest solutions that last. Every treatment is designed with your safety, comfort, and environment in mind.
Many of our clients have remained with us since 2010, demonstrating strong trust and long-term satisfaction.
Licensed by NYSDEC – Reg. #15140
Serving property managers, senior facilities, shelters, affordable-housing programs, and businesses across NYC since 2010 — many long-term clients trust our work.
Botanical/reduced-risk options, German-cockroach control and rodent-exclusion programs, full bilingual support (EN/ES), plus a client portal with reports, photos, and chemical logs for total transparency.
NYSDEC Registered — Reg. #15140 — with fully licensed technicians (Jorge Bedoya, Tomas Cusati, Jason Mendoza). We follow all regulations for safe, legal treatments.
Led by an Associate Certified Entomologist (Jorge Bedoya) and technicians trained in urban entomology, we use IPM and proven methods for lasting results.
From first inspection to final follow-up, our science-based process ensures every pest problem is solved with precision, safety, and lasting protection
Find quick answers to common questions about our services, safety practices, and customer support
Yes. We use eco-friendly and low-toxicity treatments designed to protect your family, pets, and the environment.
Yes. We offer bilingual services in English and Spanish to ensure clear communication and support for all our clients across New York City.
We proudly serve all five boroughs of New York City — Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island — as well as surrounding areas.
You can access all your service reports, invoices, and treatment details through our secure online Client Portal. Simply log in anytime to view records, photos, and chemical logs for full transparenc
We specialize in removing rodents, insects, raccoons, and other common pests, providing thorough inspections and effective solutions to keep your home or business pest-free.
We proudly serve residential, commercial, and institutional clients throughout:
Providing reliable pest control solutions for homes, businesses, and institutions across the NYC metro area
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Cicada killer wasp control in NYC — we treat the burrows so these large ground wasps stop taking over your lawn. Dependable.
