Facts, Identification & Control
The cicada killer wasp can grow up to 1.5″ long! Despite their intimidating size, these wasps are very docile. The female has a stinger that she uses to inject cicadas so that she may feed her young. Their coloring is black with dark yellow or rust orange striping, and wings that have a brown transparent tint. Their legs are rust brown.
These solitary wasps prefer well-drained, light-textured soils in that are near trees that have cicadas in them. The females will dig holes or tunnels near your sidewalks, driveways, flower beds, gardens or in the lawn. They create these burrows in the soil for their larvae, which look like big grubs.
Cicada killer wasp larvae eat cicadas that are brought into their burrows by the female wasp.
This type of wasp is not aggressive whatsoever, but sometimes they can cause damage by digging and loosening soil around patios or landscaping. When their populations become abundant, your technician can apply materials to the individual burrows. If you have recurring issues with these wasps year after year, something on your property is attracting them. Your technician can investigate what exactly is causing them to return and recommend alternatives for your landscaping, or even a preventative treatment prior to the population arriving during that time of year.
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