Cicada killer wasps tear up this Brielle yard - Wasp & bee control in Brielle, NJ
Challenge
A homeowner in Brielle called Cowleys because some type of wasp had invaded her backyard,and she wanted them gone. I was dispatched to resolve her pest issue. When I arrived I saw piles of sand scattered throughout her property, and immediately knew what I was dealing with. Her yard was invested by cicada killer wasps (sometimes called Sand Hornets). Female cicada killers dig tunnels to raise their young, and by doing so, displace several pounds of soil. Over time, this behavior can ruin your lawn, and the soil accumulations can smother nearby grass.
These wasps are exceptionally large, up to one and three-quarter inches in length. They have an intimidating appearance. Not only do they have similar coloration to yellow jackets, but about twice their size (see attached photos of these wasps). However, unlike yellow jackets, cicada killers are not aggressive with respect to people, and they do not have a territorial nest-guarding instinct. Although these wasps look intimidating and have an intimidating name, especially if you are a cicada, you can walk through areas where they are active and be pretty much ignored. Only the females have stingers, and they are focused on digging underground burrows and paralyzing cicadas to feed to their grub-like larvae. Of course, if you step on one or squeeze one in your hand, it may take offense and sting you, but these insects won’t go out of their way to chase you down and sting you like yellow jackets, paper wasps, and other aggressive stinging insects. The stinger-less males may be territorial and hover around, and even dive-bomb a trespasser, but without a stinger, it’s all show.
Even though these wasps are not a threat to people, homeowners should still have these infestations removed. While they certainly may sting too curious children or pets that are playing in the backyard, the real problem with cicada killers is property damage. Not only do these wasps cause burrowing damage themselves, but other wildlife like skunks are attracted to areas that have been extensively tunneled by these wasps. Wildlife will then do their own much more extensive digging to reach and feed on cicadas and wasp larvae. Also, cicada digging can potentially cause expensive property damage. For example, they can destabilize a brick patio laid on sand. With cicada killer wasps, homeowners should play it safe and use a pest control service to eliminate the wasp population.
Cicada killers seek out well-drained, light-textured soils in full sunlight that are near trees that harbor cicadas. These wasps especially like to dig in the loose soil in vegetable gardens, flower beds, lawns, and patio edges. Since cicada killers burrow in sandy areas, homeowners that have a sandbox or an outdoor playset built on sand should keep an eye out for insect infestations. If practical to do so, keep these areas wet or regularly churn the sand. It will discourage these wasps from establishing their tunnels.
Solution
To treat this infestation for this Brielle homeowner, I first killed any wasps hovering in and around the burrow openings with a quick knockdown aerosol. When the wasp activity died down, I treated the burrows with a residual dust application. The homeowner was pleased to know that, within two weeks, these cicada killer wasps that had taken over her lawn would be gone.
