Cicada Killer Wasps Could Invade This Summer!
They aren't as bad as they sound!
This summer, cicadas will emerge from the ground. Some reports suggest the largest number of cicadas in the last 221 years.
Brood XIII and Brood XIX cicadas will emerge in the spring and summer of 2024. The exact dates are unclear, although scientists predict the most explosive emergence will fall within a two-to-three-week period from mid-May through early June. They could arrive as early as late April.
But along with these broods comes another terrifying creature, the Cicada Killer Wasp.
What Is A Cicada Killer Wasp?
In short, Cicada Killer Wasps, a.k.a “cicada hawks” or “sand hornets” (even though they are not hornets at all), is a large, digger wasp that hunts cicadas and makes their nests in the ground near them.
These wasps can grow up to 2 INCHES long, making them the largest ones in North America, but only the female cicada killers have stingers. (Is that supposed to be good news?!?)
One pest solutions website says; “Despite their size and name, cicada killers aren’t as aggressive as other types of wasps. They only rarely sting humans and pets when they feel threatened.”
These Cicada Killer Wasps are good!
Cicada killers exert a measure of natural control on cicada populations, and as such, they may directly benefit the deciduous trees upon which the cicadas feed. But if you want to get rid of these Cicada Killer Wasps- Pour boiling water down their nest hole with a glass bowl and cover so the wasps can’t escape…
These wasps leave the nest during the day- so if you are going to DIY exterminate- wait until nightfall…
