Cicada Killer Wasp Prepares her Burrow

A squadron of cicada killer wasps sets up their base on the putting green of a golf course. One wasp is seen to dig her hole from scratch. A series of close up still photos are appended.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• cicada
• killer
• wasp
• putting
• green
• nature

[rhoadess]

I have one right now near my front porch, I was going to kill it, but I am glad I looked it up first, I'll let it do it's God intended job, to keep down the cicada population. Thanks for the video.

[p0hass01]

@rhoadess | I do not know where you live, and I could be wrong, but it seems too early in the season to be a cicada wasp. In Kentucky they appear in august. They come out of the ground to be there when their prey, the cicada, is around. That is late summer. p0hass

[ndirini]

Great video. Interesting footage and fine comments. I appreciate you emphasizing that these wasps are harmless to humans and I hope that people will stop killing them. On the other hand it must be pretty awful to be a cicada near their burrows.

[forgetitman1]

There quiet harmless actually. They are very well tempered and takes ally of swatting and annoying to have them to sting u. It's feel like a little prick but can leve a hell of a mark

[usa4ever2]

they are females the males die shortley after mating and u r really brave cause when they sting they leave a nasty sting

[CainOTrump]

Cool! Had me worried! I have one in the grill of my pickup truck and thought the Killer Bees/Wasps were here and we had to start taking precautions. I Googled it and saw the Japanese Killer Hornet and got scared, till I looked at it again and they look different. So I researched further and found these videos. I was worried but now I am not. Thanks!

[DatMafiaKitteh]

@SirNicholasD lol 

[zclary923]

@rhoadess You shouldn't kill them. I killed the one living around my duplex thinking it was some kind of digger wasp or hornet. These are relatively harmless. The females are the only ones that sting, and they only sting humans if you are aggressive towards them and try to swat, and or crush them. The males have no stinger and are harmless to humans. They are a natural form of cicada population control. They kill cicadas and use the husk to lay their eggs in underground.

[robertpaulstone]

Fascinating video; these buggers have destroyed my back yard; no insecticide has been effective so I have turned to kerosene (sprayed in their burrows and then covered) to rid my yard of these destructive creatures, their eggs and larvae so I don't have the same situation next year.

[SirNicholasD]

I have over 30+ kills on these in just about 1 week. Gotta love air soft rifles, blows them to bits. Good hunting.

[lancelo96]

@DGibbs30 they are supposedly not aggressive towards humans. the females are much bigger than males and will only sting if you pick them up...go figure! the males are often seen attacking each other for dominance and will run off other flying insects but they shouldn't bother you on a mower.