We have unwanted guests in our flower beds right now. I had no idea what they were until I googled them. Cicada killer wasps!
I first noticed them about 3 weeks ago...they are HUGE. Then I noticed about 2 dozen large piles of dirt (they look like ant hills) in our flower beds....but there are large tunnells that lead in and out of them. It is the home of these waps! They apparently rarely sting unless provoked, and should only be here for a few weeks around July or early August. Here's some additional info I found on the web:
"Cicada Killer wasps feed on pollen and nectar, but larval wasps feed on Cicadas. This female Cicada Killer has paralyzed a Cicada with her sting and is dragging it back to her burrow where she will bury it and lay an egg. The developing wasp larva will then feed on the paralyzed Cicada. Being that the Cicada is paralyzed and still alive, it does not harden and dry out so the larval wasp has living fresh meat."
These creatures are very interesting. We have also found a spot in our yard where the wasps are discarding of the cicada carcasses once they are done with them. To be more exact, Stephen and Allie found the pile of dead cicadas....Allie picked one up and brought it over to me in her hand. UGH!
3 comments:
That is just so gross, she needs to quit hanging around with her father. Allie is to sweet to do that stuff. YUCK.
Thank you for this post. I actually saw one of those things in my front yard this weekend. It was gone before I could show Greg. Now I have these nasty things along with moles in my front yard. Can't a girl get a break?!
Hey Bethany,
That is what stung Larry a few years ago. He had to go to the doctor because his face was so swollen. You might want to keep Allie away from it.
Theresa
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