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How common: Cicada Killer Wasp

Discussion in 'Nature/Habitat/Garden Corner' started by technosapien, Jul 28, 2008.

  1. technosapien

    technosapien New Member

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    Hi all,
    in my neverending fascination with (and apparent hosting of) cool insects and arachnids around my home, I witnessed a two-inch long wasp with orange-red, fuzzy head and thorax, and black/yellow striped rear-end methodically searching my back fence, and later methodically searching my front yard and juniper tree. Not kidding, it was examining each fence post by flying to the top of it, and slowly flying down, then going to the top of the next fence post, and scanning down... over and over.

    Based on the description here I think I have a cicada killer wasp. Anyone else seen these around? This is the first time I've ever seen one.
     
  2. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

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    no, but thank you for giving me yet one more reason to become agoraphobic!!!!
     
  3. technosapien

    technosapien New Member

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    Aww, they're not aggressive. I stood right next to it and watched it searching for cicadas for a few minutes, it didn't seem to mind. It did look at me once, but then just flew off on its mission to kill more cicadas.
     
  4. krmckee

    krmckee Member

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    We had them last year too - that's when I found out what they are. Very scary looking! I see them every day out in my backyard, so far no one here stung so let's just hope they are only interested in the cicadas.
     
  5. luftinarr

    luftinarr Member

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  6. BellaRu

    BellaRu Member

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    Cicada killers are actually pretty cool. The males defend the homestead, the females hunt. Only the females sting, and it takes a lot to get them that mad. The males will dive bomb you when you get to close to the nest, but they are harmless.
    The females are aggressive in early spring, and fall when they are storing up food. They will generally leave people alone.
    They are strong, and can haul a large cicada long distances back to their nests. Kind of cool to watch.
     
  7. Kaosdad

    Kaosdad Will work for Rum

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  8. marielaveau

    marielaveau Voodoo Queen

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    I am glad to hear they are not aggressive. We have these all over it seems and my daughter has seen the burrow/nest near the front door.
     
  9. razng2grtboys

    razng2grtboys New Member

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    I just went out for a short walk (too hot for a long one) and saw one of these wasps. Wow, is it big!! At least now I know not to be frightened by it.
     
  10. rharse

    rharse New Member

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    I played golf a few weeks ago and there were a few holes where the green were inundated with these things. I'm not scared of too many bugs but these things freak me out (as do any things that sting). They screwed up my entire game! Damn them!
     
  11. Mr. Linux

    Mr. Linux Senior Member & Moderator Forum Staff

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    HA! Best quote from that article (which was great, btw...):

    "How do you control them? The most economical control is to whack them with a badminton racket."

    I can just picture a bunch of Broadlanders running around their yards blindly swinging their badminton rackets as they prance around! :notfunny:
     
  12. wahoogeek

    wahoogeek New Member

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    That is so funny, my dad would send us out in the yard with tennis rackets, no lie. Those things scream off the ol' catgut.
     
  13. boomertsfx

    boomertsfx Booyakasha!

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    we had these a few years ago and it was really cool learning about em!
     
  14. Brewer

    Brewer New Member

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  15. Kaosdad

    Kaosdad Will work for Rum

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    No clue. That's just what we called them as kids.
     
  16. Brewer

    Brewer New Member

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  17. SarasMom

    SarasMom Member

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    Ew. Ew. Ew. I just went out to take trash & recycle out and one of these things was perched on the garage keypad. Good thing I looked up before I opened the keypad. It was HUGE!:scaredeyes:
     
  18. redon1

    redon1 aka Aphioni

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    thanks to this forum, i have not left the house in 2 days, which accounts for my record number of posts. luckily i cannot become pale and pasty, otherwise i would look like an 17th century Welsh woman who has survived staying indoors during 2 straight years of rain... sigh.
     
  19. Mr Rogers

    Mr Rogers Active Member

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    Fear not, I have not seen one in my yard, or the surrounding area. I have seen a lot of our subdivision, with dragging my fat a$$ around training for the Broadlands Triathlon this weekend. In previous years, I have had a TON of interaction with these insects, and I can tell you that I have never been stung, nor do I know anyone who has been.
     
  20. phitnessfiend

    phitnessfiend New Member

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    rharse...I was there. I wasn't the Cicadas that "screwed up your entire game"...it was your...entire game. haha. Like I'm one to talk. Yeah, the golf course actually have signs posted on the carts explaining what the bugs are, what causes them to sting etc. They were quite annoying. Apparently there is some type of chemical out there that gets rid of them. The course also had on the sign something saying they were having chemicals of some kind sent to get rid of them. Next time we play there and I destroy rharse (yeah right), I'll see if I can find out what that chemical is.
     

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