predatory wasps

see link

ken

Here is a link that might be useful: link -- check out the 11th pic.. yikes...

oh.. i think i remember know...

you might like this...

they dig the hole.. lay an egg .... go get a cicada... jam it in the hole.. and let the babe feast on it.. after it hatches...

soooo .. these are a good wasp ...

or i dreamed that all up .. lol ... i dont have time to yahoo and see if it is correct ...

ken

Very good, Ken! It might not be a Cicada killer wasp, but there are plenty of other solitary ground dwelling wasps that dig this kind of hole.

I plugged the hole and it came back today to dig a new one - it appears to be a ground bee - biggest bee I've ever seen and green head. These are not harmful but since its right at my front door and I have two kids under 4 I think I will say farewell to them....now.....how to do that...???

They are unable to sting people and do NOT protect the nest the way hornets and other bees do.
Your children are completely safe.

use it as a teaching moment .. and teach them about it... you might be surprised at their curiosity ...

rather than showing that that mom is a crazed bug killer.. lol ... i hear helicopters ....

at 3 years old.. my kids learned to respect hornets and bees ... to spot them.. and to leave them alone ... and tell daddy ... they rarely attack for no reason...

the only time wasps needed removal.. was when they decide to put a nest too close to us... the paper wasps.. and that was taken care of.. by simply repeatedly making the paper wet ... so they moved a few hundred feet from me.. and we were all happy ...

i gotta tell you.. by late august.. i would rather be happy knowing a bunch of these killed some of the screeching cicadas.. than any other thing it might do.. lol..

ken

ps: if you insist ... get a kids butterfly net from the dollar store.. and a can of wasp spray ... put out the lawn chair.. get an adult beverage.. and sit there and watch.. and when you see it go in.. take a big sip of drink for intestinal fortitude.. cover hole with net .. wait until it comes out.. and then spray it ... just dont come back here..whining about the cicadas driving you insane..you had your chance

thx rhiz

Ev, did you find the exact identity of your insect? There are MANY solitary ground bees and wasps. Does yours have a green head or all over green?

I differ with the remark that they are all harmless. The females of this group of insects have stingers and can use them.

I learned that the very hard way when I accidentally stepped on one in my backyard. That's pretty much what you have to do in order to get stung, but that's not unheard of when bees and people are in close proximity.

Ken, since you are so interested in the Cicada Killer, I'll tell you that all of the holes that I've seen have been excavated on one side rather than all the way around. Maybe to make it easier to drag their heavy prey in. They are the only species to go after cicadas, that I know of. Btw, it was a CK that I stepped in.